


Ghosts Of The Past

by Nigellanovela



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Eventual Relationships, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Romantic Fluff, Smut, serquel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:21:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 90,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24668302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigellanovela/pseuds/Nigellanovela
Summary: An AU story that centres around Raquel and Sergio as 27 year olds who went to college together and after a lot of drama, confusion and secrets ending up parting and losing contact with one another. 5 years later they are reunited at their college reunion; secrets and the truth will unfold and what really happened to cause their split will come to light. Will they be able to move on from this and find their way back to each other?
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 431
Kudos: 471





	1. Reunited

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go.. Chapter 1.. A bit of an intro and background to get us started.
> 
> This is my first Serquel fic, so please bear with me! I've never written before, but reading so many beautiful stories inspired me to get my ideas out there, especially since Serquel is my OTP. I've got lots of ideas for this story, twists and plots are coming to me constantly so I'm excited to take you on this journey with me. I really hope you enjoy reading this, I hope my thoughts convey on the page well, I have all these scenarios in my head, but getting them out and in to words is where I struggle! I hope you stick this out and enjoy.. Let's do this!

She did not want to go.

It had only been five years for god sake. Who attends a college reunion after five years she thought to herself. Sure, some of her colleagues had been to theirs, but they were older than her. She thought you had to be in your thirties at least to warrant a college reunion, not twenty seven years old. Besides, she had barely stayed in touch with anyone since graduating, life had taken them all down different paths and things had gotten _messy_ in the end; especially with the ones she thought would be in her life forever. She shuddered at the thought and tried to push those memories to the back of her mind... _for now at least_. She’d deal with the ghosts of her past later, _if and when_ she had to, she highly doubted they’d make an appearance tonight anyway. Last she’d heard, her biggest _‘ghost’_ was living half way around the world. No.. _he_ definitely wouldn’t be an issue tonight she assured herself.

She glanced in the mirror one last time, smoothing out her black, knee length dress and pulling the spaghetti straps just a little bit tighter. She was glad her sister had forced her to buy a new outfit for tonight, there was no denying she looked absolutely gorgeous. It wasn’t her usual look, far from it, but if she had to attend this _thing_ she wanted to make sure she looked the part, and look the part she did. The dress fit her like a glove and clung to her curves in all the right places, the silver strappy heels gave her just the right amount of height and the delicate diamond earrings, nose stud and necklace were the perfect accessories. Her skin was sun kissed from the Barcelona sun, her make up subtle and her hair framed her face in gentle, beachy waves; yes, if any of her _‘ghosts’_ were at the reunion tonight, she was happy they’d see her like this. She gave herself a reassuring smile, added a final touch of nude lipstick and headed out of her hotel room, grabbing her purse and leather jacket on the way.

As the door closed behind her and she walked towards the elevator, the nerves that had been consuming her all day began to return with a vengeance. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly and she could feel the heat rapidly rising in her cheeks. _Why_ was she doing this to herself? Was any of this _really_ important to her? Ideas of how she could get out of this evening were ferociously swirling in her mind, when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the reason she had been dragged here in the first place.. Alicia Sierra. Alicia was Raquel’s very best friend and closest confidant. She had been there for her through thick and thin and although they now lived in different cities, she knew she could count of Alicia no matter what. They’d met on their first day of college at the age of eighteen, exploring the campus together before getting drunk at the student union and crawling back to their dorm room. They’d proceeded to share all of their deepest and darkest secrets until the early hours of the morning; it was as if they’d known one another their whole lives. After that they’d been inseparable and as close as sisters for the entire four years of college; not much had changed in that regard after graduating. Raquel had eventually moved back to Barcelona to be close to her mother and sister - she had no choice after every thing that happened, while Alicia moved to London to follow her dream of becoming a criminal defence lawyer; but they FaceTimed weekly and were still each others go to in their moments of need. That’s why when their college reunion invites came through, Raquel couldn’t say no to Alicia’s pleading that they go together. She could _never_ say no to her.

“You said this would be fun” she stated in the flattest tone she could manage while shooting daggers at Alicia. “This doesn’t feel fun, I feel like I’m about to puke.” She placed her palms on the glass mirror as they stepped inside the elevator, the coolness helping to steady her shaky hands.

“Oh stop it will you” Alicia replied, rolling her eyes. “This will be fun, look at you, you look like you’ve stepped out of a magazine photo shoot. I can’t wait to see everyone’s jaws drop when they see you” she sniggered. Alicia turned to look at herself in the mirror, pulling her red hair tighter in the pony tail on the top of her head. “I didn’t know you were going to look so glamorous, I would have made more of an effort had I known”, she gestured to her black cigarette trousers and white oversized shirt with disdain, pouting at Raquel for emphasis.

“Alicia please, you could wear a bin bag and look amazing, no ones jaw is going to drop from what I look like I can assure you. If anything they’ll be shocked I’ve turned up, last they all heard I was in the midst of a breakdown and ran back to Barcelona to my family, I don’t really know if-“

“Fuck them” Alicia interrupted.

“What?”

“You heard me. Fuck them. Who cares what they think? You know the truth and that’s all that matters.”

She considered this for a moment. “I just can’t help but feel like I’m about to walk in to a room of judgemental eyes that don’t know the truth. I know I decided to keep my life private, after - well... _everything_ \- but it doesn’t make it any less nerve racking to see these people again. I swore I’d never come back to Madrid, it brings back too many painful memories.”

“I know honey”, Alicia nodded in appreciation. “But it’s one night and then you never have to see anyone again. Plus, you might like catching up with a few of them. Ágata was always so nice to you, you used to be close before - well - you know... she occasionally messages me on Facebook and she always asks after you. I think you two will hit it off again.”

She hesitated, then mumbled in a low voice, “Mmm, well she certainly made it clear how she felt about me the last time we saw each other...’

Alicia raised a hand to stop her falling in to another wave of self pity. “Failing that, why don’t you make up a magical, pretend life for tonight?! Have a bit of fun! You could be a doctor... or an actress!” Alicia beamed at her.

She chuckled and suddenly her throat felt tight. For such a long time Alicia been everything to her - her mentor, her family, her very best friend. She always knew what to say to cheer her up and lighten the mood. Deep down she knew she would never force her to go to this reunion if she thought it would be a bad idea, she trusted her with every fibre of her being.

“What’s wrong with my real job, hey? I’ll have you know I’m very proud of my career as a graphic designer. It’s not like I wasted four years of my life on a law degree or anything” she smirked, sarcasm heavy in her voice. After graduation _and the aftermath_ , it took Raquel a while to accept that a career in law wouldn’t be for her anymore. But once she settled back home with her family and saw an advertisement at a graphic design company, she decided to give it a go and was surprised at how natural she was. Now as a senior designer for one of the leading graphic design companies in Barcelona, she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her career; not that the hectic life she now lead would allow her to work in the field of law anyway. But she shrugged it off and smiled to herself, it’s funny how things can quickly change your priorities and what you thought you wanted for your life.

Her subtle smile didn’t go unnoticed by Alicia, who was happy to see her friend easing up and feeling more comfortable with the idea of the reunion. Raquel was always so focused and in control of the situation, she was the strongest person she knew, so to see her this worried was unusual, but obviously she understood the true reasons why - and suddenly Alicia realised why she felt so happy Raquel was there with her; because she was proud of her for facing her ghosts head on. It took a lot of courage for her to agree to fly back to Madrid for this, but Alicia knew if Raquel became panicked at any point, she would calm her; if she started crying, she would wipe her tears; and if she wanted to turn around and go back to the hotel to binge Netflix, she would be right behind her. Alicia would be there for her tonight, with her for whatever she needed. “I’m really so glad you’re here with me, I wouldn’t have come without you. You were the greatest thing about my time at college Raquel, I mean that.”

She could see the tears in Alicia’s eyes as she raised her gaze to look at her. God she loved this woman. She nodded, biting her lip and holding back tears of her own. “ _Don’t_ ”, she warned. “Don’t do that.. don’t make me cry. It took me almost an hour to do my make up” she whispered, breaking in to a grin. She didn’t need to say it back, Alicia already knew how much she meant to her.

They looked at each other for a long moment before moving in for a hug at the same time. They held on to one another tightly, silently expressing just how much they meant to each other. She squeezed Alicia just a little bit more, pulling strength from her - god knows she would need it for tonight. The elevator dinged as it reached the ground floor and they let each other go, stepping back and glancing in the mirror one last time to smooth out their hair.

“Ready?”

She looked down at Alicia’s outstretched hand and took it gratefully.

“Nope”, Raquel replied softly. “But let’s go before I change my mind.”

Alicia laughed and gently tugged her hand as they walked out of the elevator and through the lobby. “That’s my girl. Let’s do this.”

As they stepped out on to the bustling street, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves as Alicia flagged down a taxi. It was a warm summer evening, the hustle and bustle of locals and tourists alike making it all the more muggy and intolerable; but even so, she involuntarily felt herself shiver and wrapped her arms tighter around her body, hugging herself for warmth and comfort. She suddenly felt a flourish of strength come over her, if her best friend and family knew she could do this, why was she doubting herself? She was confident the people she _really_ didn’t want to see wouldn’t be there anyway, so why was she feeling so unsettled and worried? It would all be fine, she repeated the mantra over and over in her head; _it would all be fine_. She took one last deep breath, shuddering on the exhale, this would be a long night; she needed a drink, _and fast_.

She was bought back to her senses when Alicia waved a hand in front of her face, ushering her in to the waiting taxi she had managed to flag down. As she slid across the back seat, the nerves that had finally dissipated slowly started to resurface, more forcefully this time and she struggled to push them away. Her breathing started to speed up and she could feel her pulse in her throat; she glanced sideways at Alicia who gave her a gently smile and reached out to take her hand, wordlessly urging her to calm down and take a deep breath.

The taxi hastily pulled off in to the busy Madrid traffic and that’s when Raquel realised most definitely, that no; she did _not_ want to go.

———————————————

The taxi ride was short and sweet which she was grateful for, it gave her less time to worry about what the evening would entail; they realised they could have walked the distance from their hotel, had it not been for the monstrously high heels they’d both decided to wear. Raquel could sense the taxi driver judging them and hear his frequent, over enthusiastic tuts for having to drive only three blocks for a twelve euro fare, but they paid and exited the vehicle, flashing him their most dazzling smiles on the way out. She could have sworn she saw him blush and his mouth lift in to the slightest smile; when he noticed her staring he huffed and quickly sped off as she closed the door. At least someone gave her a smile tonight, even if it was only for a second; she was sure it was the only one she’d be getting.

As she turned to face the building in front of her, she felt a sudden wave of nausea engulf her, it was all consuming. Seeing the college after all these years bought back memories she’d completely forgotten; friends she no longer spoke to; secrets she still held close to her heart; lovers that no longer loved her. She quickly diminished the last thought, _that_ was the one that would break her and threaten the tears she had been holding back all day to spill down her cheeks.

Alicia put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing soft circles to bring her back to the present, she started walking forward, ushering her along with her. “Let’s head inside before you turn and run in the opposite direction, I can see the look you have in your eyes and I don’t fancy chasing you down the street in these heels.”

As she walked through the open oak doors and in to the foyer, she was suddenly taken back to her first day at the college; the day she’d met Alicia, the day she’d met her former friends, the day she’d met - _him_. No... She couldn’t think of him now, she’d done so well all day to keep any thought of him banished from her mind. But now she was here she couldn’t help it, the memories were all around her, he was everywhere and engulfing all of her emotions at once. She glanced at the bookcase and armchair in the corner of the room and remembered how many times he’d found her there over the years, deeply invested in romance novels with her brows furrowed in concentration at the words on the page in front of her; she’d never wanted anyone to know that was her way of relaxing, and he’d sworn to never divulge that piece of information for as long as he lived. Her eyes moved slowly to the trophy cabinet on the far wall and she could see the medals still in there from when his football team won the league in their final year; she smiled at the memory of him picking her up and twirling her round, as they basked in the sheer joy that he’d been on the winning team at last; she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, remembering the smell of his cologne as if he were really there, still with her. She abruptly shook herself and took a glass of champagne from a waiter standing beside her, with a quick look at Alicia she gulped down half of the glass in one go, she felt so hot and thirsty all of a sudden; she needed to get out of this room, she needed some fresh air otherwise she knew she would faint.

“I’m sorry, I just - need a minute, it’s too much - I - I just-” she stuttered, pausing to take a breath. “Just give me two minutes of fresh air and I promise I’ll be back”, she muttered hurriedly so that only Alicia could hear her. No one had even glanced in their direction yet, so she knew they wouldn’t notice if she slipped back outside to compose herself.

She swiftly turned on her heels and began moving towards the door when it happened all over again; another memory came flooding back, stronger this time than any of the others before. Her eyes landed on the wooden cabinet beside the entrance and she remembered him pushing her up against it in their second year, kissing her passionately as they laughed heartily at eachother between caresses and soft whispers. She had to close her eyes to stop the tears that this time she knew she would have no control over, no matter how much she willed them away. She squeezed her eyes tighter to stop the memory, to stop the sound of his laughter flooding her brain, but she couldn’t get it to ease off. _Why_ wouldn’t it go, were the memories of him so strong here that no matter what she tried, she simply couldn’t shut him out? She knew this night would be difficult, but he wasn’t even here at the reunion and this felt impossible; how was she going to last an entire evening in this place?

It took her a moment, but when the realisation dawned on her she thought her legs would give way right where she stood, she felt all of the blood leave her face in less than a second; no, _please no_ , she willed silently. She opened her eyes and there it was again, the laughter; the laugh that had been her favourite sound for years; the laugh that now haunted her dreams on her darkest days. She’d heard him before she’d seen him, _of course_ she had, his laugh was like a fog horn calling her home. She turned slowly to face towards the foyer once again and her eyes instantly landed on his back, where he stood only ten feet in front of her, a few steps forward and she would be right next to him; but _where_ had he come from? He wasn’t there when they first entered and she scanned the room, she would have noticed him, he was the one she was looking out for after all. She desperately needed Alicia but she was nowhere to be seen, she must have gone to the restroom she thought to herself; she suddenly felt so vulnerable and exposed, but couldn’t bring herself to move a single inch. Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared in his direction, even from behind she could tell it was him, that unruly mop of dark hair, the confident way in which he held himself; he threw back his head and laughed joyfully again and she knew for sure, _it was really him_.

She stood frozen on the spot, simply watching him talk animatedly to the group of men he was with, she vaguely recognised them, but not enough to know any of their names; but they hung on to his every word, he had that effect on everyone he spoke to, even now apparently. One of the men - she knew that face but where from, she pondered - must have sensed her staring, as he swiftly looked up at her before muttering something to the group, her eyes widened in horror as all at once they turned to look towards her; she held her breath as he was the last to slowly turn and catch her gaze, his body facing her direction completely. Their eyes locked on one another for the first time in years, but it felt like no time had passed at all.

_Fuck._

There he was.

Sergio Marquina. He was there, and he was still as handsome as the day he'd left her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand breathe. How will Raquel react to seeing him there, also how is Sergio going to treat her since he was the one who walked away? Only time will tell.. Please let me know what you think in the comment box below. Kudos are also welcome. If you think this story is worth continuing I'd love to know, otherwise I'm just writing this for myself hahah! I've got some good plot twists and cliffhangers planned, if that helps to keep you interested.. Thanks guys!


	2. Silent Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel and Sergio finally come face to face - but will they open up to each other and settle their differences? Or will the continue to dance around the subject?.. Only time will tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments after chapter 1! I can't explain to you how nervous I was to publish it, but seeing your lovely words really encouraged me and spurred me on to finish chapter 2 much quicker than I thought I would!  
> This chapter actually doesn't cover much time at all, it's a bit of a slow burn chapter.. but I'm filling in some gaps and covering off some more of the back story before I start dropping some meaty revelations in chapter 3!

_No_.

_No, this could not be happening_. 

She’d convinced herself he wouldn’t be here tonight. _Please, out of all the people in the world, please, let me wake up and this be a dream_ , she internally pleaded.

She couldn’t move, come to think of it she couldn’t even bring herself to breathe; she was rooted to the spot, completely unable to break his gaze, it was as if she was under his spell. _How could he be here_? She hadn’t seen him in four years and they’d parted on such bad terms that she had sworn to herself to never see him again; but yet here he was, plain as day in the exact room they’d met nine years ago. The memory of them crashing in to each other as they collected their campus guidebooks all too vivid, she squinted slightly, wondering if he was thinking the same and reminiscing about the day they met.

Her pulse once again began to hammer in her throat, she was certain he would be able to see the twitching in her neck as he walked towards her. _Fuck_ \- as he walked towards her, _why was he walking towards her_? She needed to move, she needed to look away, but she couldn’t, _pull yourself together Raquel_.

As he approached, she took a moment to soak in the sight of him. He moved with such grace through the crowd, looking so calm and collected, she’d always envied that about him; she was sure the horror at seeing him here, tonight, was etched on her face. He looked so breathtakingly handsome in his navy suit and white shirt, the matching bow tie the perfect touch, she noticed the white pocket square peeking out of his blazer; _he’d put a lot of effort in to his outfit for tonight_ , she internally hummed in appreciation. His hand rose fleetingly to nudge his glasses further up his nose, she was pleased to see he still wore the chunky black frames that she had always loved so much; back in college she had teased him and said he looked like a professor when he wore them, but seeing him now, she thought he looked absolutely perfect.

He came to a sudden stop in front of her and it was as if no time had passed at all, they were yet to break eye contact and the air between them was beginning to feel electric. No-one else existed, nothing else mattered in that moment except for them. She thought she saw a hint of sorrow flit across his face, but as quickly as she had noticed it, it vanished, his serious expression returning. She was suddenly glad for the killer heels on her feet, she was almost at his eye level and felt less intimidated and vulnerable than she otherwise would have.

At last she broke his intense gaze and moved her eyes away from him, studying the crowd - _where was Alicia_? She needed her to come and save her from the inevitable conversation she so desperately did not want to have with this man. She could sense him shifting on his feet awkwardly in front of her and glanced back up at him. _No_ , regardless of anything he didn’t deserve to be made to feel uncomfortable, so she smiled softly and saw the worry leave his face in an instant; _maybe he wasn’t so calm and collected about tonight after all_ , she thought. 

“Raquel...” His voice sounded like velvet as he sighed out her name, he always spoke to her in the softest tone, even now. They stared at one another for a long moment, his eyes warm and inviting; _say something_ she thought to herself. _Anything_.

Sergio chuckled softly, running a hand through his beard and glanced nervously around them. _Was he nervous to speak to her? Why would he be nervous_ , she thought.

“You’ve caught me slightly off guard I must admit... I didn’t expect to see you here tonight, I heard you were still living in Barcelona and wasn’t sure if you’d travel back to Madrid for this”, he continued as if reading her mind, she was grateful to have more time to collect her thoughts and find her tongue. _How did he know she lived in Barcelona_ she wondered, _was he keeping track of her through their few mutual friends_?

“Me? What about you? Aren’t you living in New York now - that’s one hell of a fare to get here”, she replied, her voice soft and raspy; she was thankful she’d managed to sound as normal as possible despite the nerves bubbling under the surface. _Shit_ \- she did not want him to know she knew he lived in New York, Alicia had told her a while back, but it made her sound like she’d been stalking him. Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips, her mouth was _so dry_ , he made her _so nervous_ ; she saw his gaze shift down to her mouth, albeit briefly and he swallowed, hard. He looked away, a tinge of blush colouring his cheeks because she’d caught him staring at her lips. She was glad she’d made the extra effort in her appearance tonight, it had evoked the response she had hoped for, even if it wasn’t him she had expected to be on the receiving end. 

He grinned sweetly at her. _God she’d missed that smile_.

“Yes - well...” he motioned behind him with his hand, glancing back quickly, “Andrés forced me to come - he said I’d be missing out if I didn’t.”

She craned her neck to look over his shoulder. _Yes, now she remembered_ \- Andrés Fonollosa, the man she had recognised; he was still stood, deep in conversation with the party Sergio had just excused himself from. Andrés was, as far as she could recall, a bit of a ladies man; he always had women hanging off his arm and draped across his lap whenever she had been in his company, _which hadn't been very often_. She hadn’t really known him during their time at college, he’d become friends with Sergio in their final year and she was shocked to hear that they were still close now; they were _complete_ polar opposites after all. 

“You’re all still friends then - the ones over there - the ones that you were talking with?” She nodded in Andrés direction, noticing he kept glancing over to where the two of them stood.

His face lit up, “oh - well, yes - yes we are, Andrés and I have remained close all these years”, he turned his body slightly to face the three men who were not very subtle with their constant stares and whispers. “You see the one in the grey jacket - that’s Martín, Andrés’ husband... and next to him is Mirko, Mirko Dragic, surely you remember him? He was the goalkeeper on our final year football team - he’s the reason we won...” He broke in to a grin as his eyes darted towards the trophy cabinet; she scanned his face, wondering if he was thinking of the same memory she’d had not all that long ago, the memory of him picking her up - twirling them round - _so in love_ ; she shook herself, returning abruptly to reality. 

“Mmm yes, I remember - I knew both of their faces, I just couldn’t rack my brains as to their names. It feels like it's been an eternity - but it’s all coming back to me now”, she smiled sweetly at him, a relaxed sigh leaving her lips; they’d slipped in to comfortable conversation, _for now_. 

_What now_? Neither of them knew what to say and the silence between them hung thick in the air, this felt surreal, _it had been years_ , yet here they were trying to be normal with one another as if nothing had ever happened between the two of them. So many secrets and lies were swirling around them, but they both desperately were trying to ignore them, _for the sake of each other_ she thought. A laugh escaped her lips and she raised a hand to cover her mouth; he looked at her with a puzzled look on his face before breaking in to a smile of his own.

“Why are you laughing - don’t tell me it’s the bow tie... I knew it would make people laugh, but Martín insisted I wear it”, he laughed delicately, fussing with the fabric at his neck and she could sense the genuine worry in his voice.

She managed to get her laughter under control to diminish his concern, “oh no it’s not the bow tie, it - _you_ look great, it’s just... we - here we are... pretending this is so normal, when this is the furthest thing _from_ normal.” Her words were serious but her face was not as she used her hands to gesture between them, she couldn’t help but smile ironically at the situation and he wasn’t sure whether he should mirror her or be concerned by her reaction. “We haven’t seen each other in years, we haven't spoken since that _awful_ day - yet here we are - _smiling_ \- no... _laughing_ with one another as if nothing has happened. It just all seems a bit - well -“

“Surreal?” He finished for her. 

She bit her lip while nodding gently, involuntarily swallowing even though her mouth was still _so_ dry. 

He stepped closer to her, his breath mingling with her own shaky exhales, he opened his mouth to speak and she could see his voice catch in his throat as he swallowed, _this wasn’t easy for him either_.

“Believe me Raquel, the oddness of this situation isn’t lost on me either”, he whispered so only she could hear; there he went again, reading her mind and answering her internal questions. 

She felt his warm breath on her cheek, which caused her hair to gently blow around her face every time he exhaled; she closed her eyes to control her senses, her legs felt like jelly but for a completely different reason this time. _He was so near to her_ , if she just turned her head slightly her lips would be on his cheek, a little bit further and they’d be on his lips; _no_ , she couldn’t think like that, she couldn’t bring herself to imagine him like that anymore, it took her so long to move on from him, she wouldn’t have this one evening take her back to square one. 

“ _Sergio_...” she sighed, so quietly that she wasn’t sure if he’d even heard her; he tilted his head towards her, urging her to continue but willing to wait until she was ready. “ _Why are you here_?”

He stepped back ever so slightly to look in to her eyes once more, “I told you... Andrés forced me to come.” He sounded sure, but his eyes deceived him.

She scanned his face, trying to gauge his emotions, “yes you said - but why are you _really_ here?” Her brows furrowed in concentration as she studied him and she hoped the seriousness of her question was evident in her eyes. _She needed him to be honest_. 

He moved even closer to her, his hand grazing her hip _so_ gently she wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, he lowered his lips to her ear - brushing over it, his touch as light as a feather and making her shiver at the contact; she was grateful her hair was down to create a slight barrier between the two of them. She could feel the gentle tremble radiating off of him, the effect she still had on him after all this time was not going unnoticed. 

“Well - like I said, Andrés made me... but - _well_ \- if I’m honest, deep down I did _want_ to come, I suppose - because - well.. I’d hoped that -“

“Sergio! Sergio Marquina!?” a voice bellowed and they snapped their heads in unison towards the direction of Alicia hurrying towards them, swiftly breaking them apart and ending the intimate moment; they quickly took a few steps back from one another, creating space between them once again and allowing their breathing to return to normal. She turned her head to glance at him but he instantly looked away and ran a hand through his hair, seemingly trying to bring himself back to reality; she couldn’t blame him, she felt exactly the same. The sound of voices and laughter in the room became louder once more, for a minute she’d forgotten where they were and that they were surrounded by others, _what had come over them_? She was sure people would have noticed their interaction, but she didn’t have time to ponder the thought as a second later Alicia was there, launching herself into Sergio’s arms. 

“My god! I can’t believe it’s you! You are not someone I expected to be here tonight I must say. Raquel... look - look who it is”, her eyes were wide as she took him in. She released Sergio and turned towards Raquel, the look in her eyes not very subtle since they were as wide as saucers. Raquel was sure he would notice the unspoken conversation Alicia was trying to have with her - _yes I know it’s him, now stop making it awkward and help save this situation_ , she silently begged her best friend. She looked away from Alicia to face him and could clearly see that he was uncomfortable - _again_ , even after all this time she could read his body language, he was tense and awkward and the uncertain laugh that left his mouth all but confirmed her thoughts. 

“Yes - well... I was just telling Raquel”, his gaze flitted between them both before he paused to motion behind him once more, “Andrés forced me to come so-“

“No... Andrés Fonollosa is here?!” she squealed. A few minutes ago Raquel had been praying for her best friend to return, but right now she wished she would go _anywhere_ else; not only had she interrupted a _moment_ between them, she was now drawing attention to their conversation. She felt a blush creep along her cheekbones and shot a glance at Sergio who shared the exact same expression; she looked around them and smiled apologetically - _and somewhat embarrassingly_ \- at the few people looking in their direction. 

“I _have_ to go and see Andrés - I cannot believe he is here either!”

“Why are you so excited to see him? I don’t remember you ever being friends, I’m sure you only hung out with him a few times?” Raquel questioned, _how did she remember so little_ , it had only been a few years - although so much _had_ happened in the mean time. 

“Are you kidding - he used to flirt with me all the time when I worked on the bar at the student union. He was one of my favourites - gave great tips too.”

“Makes sense”, Sergio muttered under his breath whilst rolling his eyes; Andrés had been a serial flirt for years, until he met Martín of course.

They watched as Alicia retreated away from them, making her way over to Andrés who gathered her in to his arms, kissing her temple repeatedly as soon as he caught sight of her.

“I had no idea they were friends - this is all news to me”, Sergio chuckled beside her. 

She hummed in agreement, watching her friend reunite with Andrés in the distance, she was so glad to see her having a good time, she was also glad to be left alone with Sergio to continue their conversation, which was not something she thought she’d be thinking ten minutes ago. She turned to face him once more, her smile fading as the seriousness of the conversation they had just shared returned to the spotlight.

“So, before we were - _interrupted_ ”, she continued, lowering her head with a shy smile, “you were saying - why you were really here... and if - well - _if_ it was on the off chance I would be here, then _why_ didn't you ever return my letter Sergio... _why_ did you never respond to me?”

Genuine confusion crossed his face and for a second she wondered if maybe, _just maybe_ , he was about to say what she had hoped for the past four years. His face softened and he stepped closer to her once more, wanting what he was about to say to be heard by her and her alone. _This was it_ , she prayed for no more interruptions, she prayed for the truth; she'd played this conversation over and over in her head for years and now - _finally_ it was about to happen. He opened his mouth, but the words were caught in his throat and lost on his tongue. His eyes drifted past her and settled on the door at the entrance, he looked shocked to his very core; she turned slowly to follow his gaze and her blood ran cold at the sight before her. There in the doorway to the foyer stood Silene Oliveira.

She took a shuddery breath and glared in Silene’s direction, _what the fuck was she doing here_ , this was definitely _not_ her scene. It took all of ten seconds for her to spot them and when she did she began to strut their way, a smirk dancing across her face and her heeled boots clacking on the marble floor as she approached. Raquel looked sideways at Sergio and caught his eye, she recognised the look of sympathy written across his features, she could sense his need to say something, but instead he lowered his gaze to his feet, momentarily closing his eyes and shaking his head; no words could save this situation anyway.

“Well, well - isn’t _this_ cosy”, Silene snarled, stopping in front of them, the excessively fake smile almost unbearable and Raquel had to fight the urge to slap it from her face.

God, she _hated_ this woman. 

After all, _she_ was the reason Sergio had broken up with her in the first place, _this_ \- this had all been Silene's fault. She froze suddenly and thought back to his bewildered expression when she mentioned the letter and immediately she was sure - no - _positive_ , that that had also been down to _her_. 

_Of course it had been her_. 

_She_ was the reason they hadn’t spoken in four years. Silene had let him believe she never wanted to speak to him again, she was the reason Raquel had lost the love of her life for good. She'd sent him a letter as soon as she'd settled back in Barcelona with her family, she'd told him it all, explained _everything_ , but he had no idea about _anything_ ; no idea about the life she'd lived for the past four years without him, he didn't know the truth. It was in that moment of realisation that Raquel couldn't help the tears that had sprung to her eyes and were slowly falling down her cheeks, he'd missed out on _so_ much through no fault of his own. 

All she could do was stand there, silently letting the tears fall as she stared at him, _still her Sergio_. He looked up at her and it was as if he was staring right through to her soul; she closed her eyes to numb the pain, she'd never felt so heartbroken in her entire life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dunnnnnn....  
> What did Silene do to break them up!? What was in the letter.. And did Sergio ever get it!? Don't worry, all will be revealed...  
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again comments and kudos are greatly appreciated :)


	3. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Silene's shock appearance, Raquel cracks and finally unleashes her truth. Will they finally be able to move forward?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I'm back! I'm so sorry this update has taken me so long, it's been frustrating me how little time I've had to write and I didn't want the chapter to be rushed or anything so it took me a bit longer this time round.  
> Lockdown has been lifted here in London, so I've been busy with work and life, but I've managed to spend all weekend polishing this chapter up and getting it ready to publish.  
> So here it is.. chapter three, enjoy! Don't forget to let me know what you think in the comments box, kudos are also much appreciated.

Raquel didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know what to say. She knew now that he had never received her letter all them years ago because Silene had made sure he never got his hands on it. All this time he must have thought she’d returned to Barcelona and erased him from her mind; _all this time_. She was angry - no, she was downright furious. It had been too long now, where would she begin? How would she tell him the truth, how could she make him understand what had actually happened, she didn’t know where to start; she wanted to leave, she knew she should never have come. 

Absentmindedly she raised a hand to wipe away her tears, her gaze still fixed on his face, his brows furrowed in concern as he stared at her and she could see the question burning in his eyes; _why are you crying, talk to me please_? She couldn’t tell him, not now, especially not in front of Silene. 

“ _Well_ \- aren’t you going to say hello to me?” Silene’s voice ripped through the silence and she could hear the venom that laced her every word. She returned to Earth with a shatter as he tore his gaze away to look at the raven haired vixen in front of them, bowing his head ever so slightly in greeting. 

“Always a - pleasure to see you Silene”, Sergio muttered through gritted teeth. _Oh, so he no longer liked her either_ , Raquel thought, _what had happened there_? They’d been pretty close after she’d left. 

Silene’s cackle vibrated through her and she felt her insides shudder at the sound, she’d never detested anyone more in her life and she needed to get away from her, this situation was becoming all too much.

“Well I’m living in Tokyo now - but I had to make a trip back to Madrid to see everyone didn’t I? How could I resist seeing all of-“

“I’m sorry to interrupt this lovely little reunion, but please excuse me”, Raquel felt satisfaction at having disrupted Silene mid sentence, she didn’t owe it to her to let her finish. Besides, she could have been worse and confronted her here and now, but she thought better of it and wanted to be the bigger person, _or she simply wanted to escape this moment altogether,_ her internal monologue reminded her. 

Silene slowly moved her gaze from Sergio to face her, distaste oozing from her very core as she snarled, “leaving so soon Raquel? Was it something I said?”

She couldn’t bring herself to answer, she didn’t think she would be able to control the words that would leave her if she so much as opened her mouth in Silene’s direction; so she simply pursed her lips in to a tight smile and moved towards the open door, the slight evening breeze a welcome distraction. She moved hurriedly to the side of the building and out of sight, she didn’t want anyone to find her, she needed to be on her own, she needed to think. She sunk down on to the rusting metal bench, resting her elbows on her knees and letting her face fall in to her palms; her breathing was beginning to steady and she was grateful for the sudden pause in this crazy evening.

_What was she going to do_? There was no way out of this. She’d have to tell him the truth, she just needed to collect her thoughts and figure out a plan. 

“The truth about what?” A loud voice made her jump out of her skin and she turned fully in her seat to see Ágata approaching, still as gorgeous as ever in her white jumpsuit and black Doc Martens. She hadn’t spoken to her since the day her and Sergio had split, they’d parted on bad terms, but she was smiling softly and Raquel was taken aback by the kindness in her eyes; all she could do was stare, her whole evening was revolving around being in a constant state of shock. 

“ _Well_ \- what truth... about what?” Ágata repeated as she took a seat next to her, only then did she realise she must have muttered her inner thoughts out loud for anyone to hear.

“Oh - I - It’s nothing... I didn’t realise anyone was here, I - I was talking to myself, that’s all”, Raquel lied, but her eyes betrayed her as Ágata simply crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows; she did not believe her for one second.

“Listen, something is bothering you. I saw the way you reacted tonight at seeing Silene and trust me I get it... but what’s all this about? We know the two of you hate each other and she tried it on with Sergio the second your ass returned to Barcelona... but nothing ever happened between them, so what’s this all about? If you think-“

“Nothing ever happened?” Raquel interrupted, her eyes widening in surprise. 

“Well - _no_. He was so caught up on you still, even after what you did.” Raquel’s blood ran cold at the thought that no-one knew the truth, but she nodded wearily at Ágata to continue. “He constantly pushed Silene away, he never wanted her that like that no matter how hard she tried... Eventually she got bitter and the second she started bad mouthing you to him - _to all of us_ \- Sergio sent her packing and told her to leave if that’s how she felt... so she did. You know Silene, she doesn’t like to be put in her place. So she went off travelling on her own and ended up in Tokyo where she’s been ever since.”

She didn’t know what to say, she knew her mouth was gaping and she was staring at Ágata, but she couldn’t help it. _Sergio had still been caught up on her_. If only he had gotten her letter, this could have all been avoided. 

“So... I’ll ask again - what truth?” Ágata repeated softly this time. She simply wanted to help her, Raquel could see that now; she’d been so close to her once upon a time and seeing the softness in her eyes, Raquel was sure they could easily get back to that if she just opened up and finally let someone in after all these years. Someone other than her family or Alicia. 

She stood up and began pacing. “The thing is, _if_ I tell you, I think - _well_ \- I know you’re going to judge me and be really angry - but the important thing to realise is that I did try and that this actually is all Silene’s fucking fault.” She was angry now, thinking about it again and trying to find a way to explain it was making her blood boil. 

“Raquel...” Ágata cut her off. “Just tell me from the beginning... you can’t go wrong if you just tell the truth from the beginning. I promise, no judgement”, she finished the sentence with her hand on her heart, a silent vow to simply listen and be there at this particular moment. 

She took a deep breath and returned to sit next to Ágata once more, turning her body to face her completely. As much as she’d promised not to judge her, Raquel wasn’t so sure, but she was so sick of the hiding and the pretending and the lying; _it was time_. 

“Well”, she started, her voice so timid and soft. “Actually - first of all, was it you who told Sergio I live in Barcelona? He seemed to know and you’re the only person I can think of that would tell him that. I’m not angry - no, please don’t think I’m angry... I’m just... curious I suppose, I wonder how much he knows about me.” 

Ágata looked away for a beat before flitting her gaze back to her. “Well - we all knew you went back to Barcelona, I mean... where else would you have gone, we highly doubted you returned to Madrid without Sergio. I also speak to Alicia every so often and I always ask after you Raquel. Regardless of anything, we were close once upon a time and I like to make sure you are keeping well and happy.” Her smile was genuine and it soothed Raquel, if only for a moment. 

“What exactly does Alicia say about me”, Raquel asked with hesitation lacing her words, she was dreading the answer. 

“Not much, don’t worry - she knows it’s sensitive and awkward and she respects your privacy, but she told me you were back in Barcelona a few months after you left. You and I didn’t exactly part on the _best_ of terms did we and - well - I’m stubborn, as you know”, her infectious laugh interrupted her for a second before she continued on. “I didn’t think I could reach out to you directly - to be honest I didn’t think you’d even reply to me, so I messaged Alicia on Facebook and she told me where you were. Over the years she’s never mentioned you moving elsewhere so I just assumed you were still there”, she paused, scanning Raquel’s face as if checking she hadn’t crossed an imaginary line.

Raquel released the breath she had been holding but didn’t utter a word, it was clear Ágata wasn’t done; there was more she needed to say, her brows were furrowed and she had a faraway look on her face. Raquel nodded thoughtfully, urging her silently to carry on.

Ágata sighed, wringing her hands together, deep in thought. “To answer your question about Sergio - _yes_... it was me who told him you were back in Barcelona. After you left he became this closed book, he was _so_ detached, I could see how much it affected him that you were gone... he tried so hard to be nonchalant about everything, but _I knew_. And - just seeing him like that, so... _lost_ \- so broken... even though he was surrounded by friends, it was awful Raquel. It made me realise that you had gone off - and if you felt as heartbroken as he did, but weren’t with friends... well I couldn’t bear the thought of that”, Ágata paused to shudder and Raquel could see the colour had slowly drained from her face at the memory. “So I messaged Alicia, it must have been a month after you left - just to check on you of course. I knew she was in London, so I wanted to check you weren’t alone - and she told me... you were back in Barcelona and you were doing okay, back with your mother and sister... _and_ Alberto I imagine, although Alicia never said as much. But I was glad to know you-“

“Wait, what do you mean _and_ Alberto? He never came back to Barcelona with me... is that was you all thought?” Raquel interrupted, the words leaving her mouth in such a hurry she wasn’t sure if they were even intelligible. 

Ágata glanced up, tearing her eyes away from her fidgeting hands in her lap, “well yes, of course that’s what we thought, that’s what we were told... did he not come after you?”

Raquel threw her a sharp look. “No! Of course he didn’t, why would I _ever_ be with him?”

Ágata looked at her confused. “Because you were caught in bed with him Raquel - and then you left - and Alberto left the next day saying he was going to meet you... it killed Sergio of course, but it made sense.”

“ _This_ is fucking ridiculous”, Raquel let out with an exasperated sigh, sarcastically sniggering while running her fingers through her hair. “Alberto was a creep, I was never interested in him, I never wanted him and he never came back with me to Barcelona. After I left you all in Ibiza I never, _ever_ laid eyes on Alberto ever again. He ended up in Rome - working as some forensics expert... did _none_ of you know that - didn’t Alicia tell you that?”

“Well - I never really asked - and Alicia never really dared to mention Alberto’s name to me - but no, none of us knew that. When he left Ibiza he said he was going to sweep you off your feet... luckily he never said it around Sergio, as I honestly think he would have unleashed all his of anger on him and beaten him into oblivion. But yeah, Sergio... and all of us thought you and Alberto had fallen in love and gone back to start a life in Barcelona. We all deleted him off social media, so none of us have seen what he’s been up to over the years - and you deleted all of your social media accounts. So yeah, we just assumed the pair of you were together, living happily.” Agata finished the sentence sharply, she was still angry at how Raquel had _apparently_ treated Sergio, that much was clear.

Raquel squirmed in her seat, she knew there was so much explaining to do; how had everything got so twisted. Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears, her head was fuzzy with confusing thoughts and all in all, her whole body felt drained to the very core. 

She took a pause, before whispering softly, “I went back to Barcelona on my own when Sergio asked me to leave. I went home to my family. I was heartbroken beyond compare - I would never, _could never_ just move on from Sergio like that. Alberto always had a crush on me, we all know that - but I never entertained it, _not ever_. I don’t even know for sure how he knew we were all in Ibiza, he just sort of - turned up... out of nowhere.”

“You mean”, Ágata started softly, “you never told Alberto we were in Ibiza?”

For a moment, she saw her own anguish and pain reflected in Ágata’s eyes. 

“ _Of course not_ ”, she replied, her voice cracking. “Why would I? Silene obviously invited him, but I’m sure she will never admit to that now - she wanted to cause some drama. We all know she was desperate to split me and Sergio up from day one, so I assume she invited Alberto, staged everything and - well, yeah - fucked up _everything_ good in my life."

Realisation dawned on Ágata’s face, “you’ve _got_ to be fucking kidding me? Silene? Silene caused all of this?”

“Yep”, she whispered, nodding resolutely. 

With anger suddenly coursing through Ágata’s veins, she stood and moved away from the bench, swaying slowly with her hands on her hips; she was raging, Raquel could see that. _Please don’t go in there and cause a scene_ she thought to herself, but before she could say anything Ágata pivoted on her heels and began marching in the direction of the foyer, her blood boiling, her temper rapidly on the rise. 

“Wait!” Raquel shouted after her, standing and turning towards Ágata’s now retreating figure. “Please no, just wait - there’s more. I know you’re angry, god knows I’m fucking furious, but just let me tell you the whole story before you go in there all guns blazing.”

Ágata swirled back around to face her, “you mean there is more to this absolute shit show of a story? There’s more that you need to tell me? I’m on the edge Raquel, the girl is a - well she’s a - fucking _liar_ and I’m _this_ close to losing my shit”. She pinched her fingers in the air for emphasis and Raquel knew she had never seen her this angry before, Sergio obviously meant a great deal to her for her to be getting this wound up. 

“Please, just sit - two more minutes... Then I give you permission to go ape shit at Silene. I mean... it’s the very least she deserves”, Raquel laughed nervously as they both sat back down, taking a moment to soak in all of this brand new information. 

Raquel looked down at her hands, a tear spilling over and slowly coursing down her cheek; before she knew it Ágata had reached out to gently take her hand, giving her the strength to carry on.

“I didn’t sleep with Alberto, I just need to make that clear. I know Sergio thinks we did, I mean _I_ wasn’t even sure at first, but then Alberto told me himself that it never happened... but Sergio was just too far gone, I’d lost him - he, _well_ \- he didn’t believe me, not that I blame him.”

“Honey”, Ágata said, emotion clear in her voice. “I need you to explain everything, because right now I’m under the impression I’ve been believing a lie.”

Raquel nodded before releasing a shaky breath. “Yeah, I know. I’m going to say it all without stopping, so please - please don’t interrupt me, I just want to get it all out at once.” She glanced in Ágata’s direction, who smiled sadly at her, tears apparent in her eyes, they were filled with sadness.

“It was so good - Sergio and I, we were doing _so good_. The night of graduation we decided to stay in Madrid for a few months, at least until the lease was up on his apartment. I was going to move in to his place and we would plan where we would go next,” she smiled at the memory; the three months where it had been just the two of them in Madrid in Sergio’s tiny apartment had been the best of her life. They were happy, completely inseparable, they were _so in love_. 

She felt Ágata squeeze her hand and was grateful to have her there, not interrupting, just listening, urging her forward with her story. 

“A week before the lease was up”, she continued, “we decided to go travelling. It was a few weeks before our fourth anniversary so we wanted an amazing trip, one to remember we said. Sergio called you, Andrés, Monica and Daniel to see if you guys wanted to come with us - we hadn’t seen any of you since graduation so we thought we could make it a bit of a reunion too. Next thing we knew, Silene found out and asked if she could come with, Sergio said yeah, but I... god I was _furious_ that she’d invited herself. She was always so nicey nice to him, but I knew what she was like deep down, she was so desperate for us to break up so she could swoop in there and take him off my hands. I could see it, but Sergio - _no_ , he could never see it, he thought I was being paranoid. I let it go, if he didn’t see a problem then I wouldn’t rise to it, but I _knew_. Fast forward to our stop off in Ibiza and there she was, causing issues all over again, right in front of my eyes. Again, I told Sergio, but he just said she was joking around, he said she wasn’t interested in him but I knew she was just waiting for me to be gone to pounce on him... like you said, the second I returned to Barcelona she made a move.” She glanced sideways to gauge Ágata’s reaction who nodded sadly. 

“The night we broke up, well - it was _awful_ ”, she continued on. “I just lost it - completely lost my shit. We’d been by the pool all day and Silene had been in her tiny bikini, reaching around Sergio, touching his knee, things like that. I knew what she was doing - but Sergio... never even batted an eyelid, poor guy was so oblivious to her blatant attraction. Then Alberto showed up, and all of us - we were _so_ confused as to who had invited him, but now I think back, _obviously_ it had been Silene. Alberto just kept following me around the villa all afternoon and it was doing my head in. I knew Sergio had seen it and was jealous, but he didn’t say anything - and it just infuriated me so much. We all knew Alberto had this weird crush on me - and all I wanted was for Sergio to put him in his place, tell him to back off, I wanted him to tell both of them to back off... but he didn’t. That night when we were getting ready to go out, he was so off with me, he was annoyed, yeah - I was annoyed too, we were getting frustrated by these two little, fucking idiots trying to come between us and we were taking it out on each other. Silene was getting exactly what she wanted.”

Tears were now beginning to ferociously slide down Raquel’s cheeks, so much so that all she could see were the blur of hands in her lap. She felt Ágata pull her close, shushing her, easing the quiet tremors racking through her body as she fought to keep her emotions at bay while she tried to finish her tale. The closeness and warmth Ágata was providing was an enormous comfort as she cried at the memories. 

“We just erupted at each other, we’d never had a fight like it in all the years we had been together”, she whispered, her heart breaking all over again just thinking about it. “It got nasty - _so nasty_ \- we were awful to each other, saying all these... things - that neither of us meant. He told me that maybe we were being naive and that we’d run our course, he said his dream was to explore the world and be a travel photographer, while my goal was to move to New York and become a lawyer. How can we ever last, he’d said... it broke my heart, completely crushed me. I told him if that’s what he thought then maybe we shouldn’t be together anymore, maybe it would be best to cut our losses and end it now.” She paused, her voice had been so quiet she wasn’t sure if Ágata had even heard her. 

“What did he say to that?” Ágata questioned delicately, proving she had heard and was hanging on to her every word. 

She gulped down a sob that was rising from within, her shoulders slouched forward in defeat. “He didn’t say anything - he just nodded and left the room... but as far as I knew, our relationship was over.”

“Oh, my love”, Ágata said softly. “Why didn’t you say anything that night? You could have told me this, I could have helped you both sort it out. We all knew you’d had a fight that night, but we didn’t realise you’d basically broken up - we didn’t know it had been _that_ bad. When you left the next day Sergio wouldn’t really talk about it... I had no idea.”

“I didn’t want to face it, I didn’t want us to be over - so I got ready and came out to everyone gathered in the kitchen, drinking. Then you suggested that we separate for boys and girls nights out and I was so grateful for you at that moment”, Raquel laughed. “I could have kissed you, you didn’t even know what had happened, but you knew we’d argued and the fact you wanted to keep us apart for the night to cool off - well, it just proved how much of an amazing friend you were. I know you were always closer to Sergio, but in that moment, I was so grateful to have a friend like you in my life.” She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes and when she looked at Ágata she could see her tears now slowly falling too. 

“Raquel”, she said, her voice broken. “God I am so sorry. I knew you’d had a fight, but I didn’t think it was that bad, so when the next morning we found you in bed with Alberto - well, I just saw red and thought the worst of you. I’d been friends with Sergio first so my loyalty was to him, but I swear to you, if I’d known the truth - I never, _never_ would have let you leave like that... and to find out now you never even slept with Alberto. I feel like an awful person. I hope you can forgive me”, she whispered, swallowing loudly. 

“I don’t forgive you Ágata. I don’t forgive you because, well - there’s nothing to forgive. You have been _such_ a good friend to Sergio, you stayed by his side - you secretly checked on me through Alicia. How could I ever be mad at you, you’ve been a real friend without even realising”, Raquel smiled through the tears. She could see the relief clear as day in Ágata’s eyes. 

She looked off in to the distance, searching for the courage to finish her story, she was so close to the end, so close to sharing her secret.

“Anyway - when we were out, Silene was plying me with drink. I knew she was trying to get me drunk - trying to get information out of me... but truthfully I didn’t care. Me and Sergio had basically just broken up and honestly, I didn’t give a fuck about anything. I was downing tequila like there was no tomorrow, I wanted to feel numb, I wanted to forget, so I let her get me drunk - I just went with it. When you and Monica went off to the the club, I was too far gone - I was wasted, there was no way I’d be let in, so Silene, _lovely_ Silene offered to take me back to the villa. I didn’t have the brain power at that moment to tell her to leave me alone, so she followed me back, pretending she wanted to make sure I got home safely, but I knew she didn’t give a shit. Even in my drunken state, I knew she had other intentions. We got back to the villa and no one was there. I told her I was going to bed, but she stopped me - don’t you think you should sleep in the spare room if you and Sergio have had a fight, she said - I agreed immediately, it made sense to sleep in a separate room. So I stumbled in to the spare room - Silene hot on my heels. I got in the room and she starting stripping me off, I told her I was fine but she said she was just helping me get my dress off so I could get in bed. I remember climbing in to the bed in my underwear and being grateful we had a spare room so I could be away from Sergio for the night - in the back of my mind I kept thinking, _we will sort it out tomorrow_ , but right now just have this night on your own, in this empty room, but of course-“

“It no longer was an empty room”, Ágata interrupted at last, horror etched on her face. “It was Alberto’s room since he’d turned up that afternoon.”

Raquel nodded slowly, sobbing now, shaking violently as she released all the sadness and anger she’d held on to for all these years. 

“Yep - Silene had set me up. She’d made out she was being a decent human being and putting me in the spare room, but actually - she’d got me so drunk, took me home, undressed me and then put me in Alberto’s bed. She’d set the scene perfectly for Sergio to find us the next morning.”

“ _I’m gonna fucking kill her_ ”, she heard Ágata mutter under her breath.

She leant back on the bench, her body felt heavy and she needed the support. “The next morning I woke up - in my underwear - and in Alberto’s bed. He was next to me, his arm draped across my stomach and I... I felt sick. For a moment - _just_ a moment, I thought I’d done the worst, but I knew I hadn’t, _I couldn’t have_. My head was spinning and I made a move to get his arm off me, but as I did the door slammed open and in came Silene, you and Sergio right behind her. It looked like I was hugging Alberto back, but I wasn’t - I was trying to get him off me, _desperately_ trying to get out of his room before Sergio woke up. But Silene knew what she was doing, she wanted Sergio to find me like that. I swear to you, I was so drunk, I didn’t even realise it was Alberto’s room. The thought of him being in Ibiza hadn’t even come back in to my mind for fuck sake, I had no interest in the guy. I ran after you all - well after Sergio, no offence but I really didn’t care about the rest of you... but he wasn’t having it, he thought I’d slept with him. He told me we were over and that was it... you all sided with him, _understandably of course_ \- and then there was Silene, smirking little Silene in the corner, happy with the mess she had created. I couldn’t prove it, but I knew it was her. I ran back to Alberto, demanding an explanation, but _fuck_ he was so smug and patronising. I told him I hated him, never had been interested in him and never would be and he got _so_ angry, I was scared for a moment, but I didn’t back down... I needed the truth. He told me that Silene had messaged him that I was in his bed waiting for him after a fight with Sergio, he snuck off without anyone knowing and came back to the villa - Silene had made out to him that I was desperate to sleep with him and had always fancied him, some shit like that. But he told me I wouldn’t wake up, he could see how fucked I was, completely wasted - but he’d wanted to believe Silene so he climbed in to bed with me and fell asleep, waiting for me to wake up and be with him in the morning. That was it. No sex, no fooling around... nothing. I’d been none the wiser anyway. But it was too late, the damage was done.”

“But Raquel, why didn’t you _say_ anything, you could have cleared your name?”

She scoffed, “oh please, none of you would have believed me. I know how bad it looked and Alberto wanted to hurt Sergio, so he wouldn’t tell the truth. I pleaded with him to tell Sergio, but he played dumb, made out he was too drunk to remember, even though he had _just_ confessed to me that nothing happened between us. I cornered Sergio in the kitchen but he wouldn’t have it... he wouldn’t even look at me. I mentioned that Silene had set this up and he just flipped, told me to stop always blaming other people and that this was my mistake. No, _none of you believed me_ \- and Alberto and Silene never even tried to help or clear up the lies. I was alone, completely. So I left... I packed my bags and left. I waited at the airport for six hours before getting a flight. I hoped, _prayed_ \- Sergio would come and get me, but he never came. So I left.”

Loud sobs were escaping her now, she knew there was no way of stopping them. Ágata pulled her closer, rocking her within her arms, crying with her, tears of sorrow and anguish shared between them. 

“Raquel?” Ágata murmured.

“Mmm?”

“You need to tell this to Sergio. He’ll listen to you now, it’s been years. Years of living this - this, _lie_. You need to tell him all of this. He fucking hates Silene anyway. After you left, she was constantly bashing you and Sergio hated it, as angry as he was, he didn’t like anyone speaking badly of you. We had moved on to Lisbon when she made a move on him one night... I think he was so angry that you’d been right all that time about her, about the fact she wanted to be with him. He got so pissed off with Silene, they came to blows and she packed up and left the next morning, carried on travelling on her own. We travelled a bit more around Europe, but Sergio just wasn’t the same without you, he became this lone wolf and after a couple of months he told us he wanted to be on his own. He flew to America, managed to get a job with National Geographic as some big shot nature photographer and that was that. He’s based in New York, but he’s always off all over the world for work.”

Raquel's lips twitched at the thought. He’d achieved his dream, he’d always wanted to be a travel photographer and he'd done it, she was bursting with pride for him. “It’s funny, my dream was to move to New York to be a lawyer, but in the end that’s where he ended up. Maybe we would have lasted after all”, she sniggered softly. 

“Raquel, I have to ask”, Ágata began hesitantly. “You were shocked when I said that nothing ever happened between Sergio and Silene - why did you think it had, who told you that?”

Raquel rolled her eyes, “who do you think?” She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand before continuing. “I’d been back in Barcelona a few weeks when Alberto sent me a text. He just asked if I was okay, told me he was back in Madrid and had been offered this job in Rome. Truthfully I didn’t care, I didn’t want to speak to him, but then he told me to look after myself like Sergio was looking after himself. Curiosity got the better of me so I asked him what he meant, and he said that Sergio was taking comfort from all of you, _especially_ Silene. He told me that after I left Ibiza, Sergio had connected with Silene... but I didn’t want to know anymore, he’d told me enough. I’d deleted my social media accounts the day I got back to Barcelona, so I never saw anything and I didn’t want to know. I was happy Sergio was doing okay, even if it was with her. I don’t really get why Alberto would say that to me if Sergio and her weren’t together, he must have just-“

“Oh come on Raquel think about it! For god sake - he was lying to you, making out Sergio and Silene were together to stop you from reaching back out. Alberto left the day after you, he wouldn’t have a clue what was happening, we all immediately erased him from our lives. He was lying to hurt you - to hurt both of you. _Fuck_. This is so fucked up”, Ágata’s voice was fierce now, she raised her eyebrows before looking in to Raquel’s eyes. “There’s more... I can’t take anymore but I can see from your face that you’re not done - what is it?”

“I was under the impression that Sergio had moved on with Silene, I thought he was happy - but, you’re right, Alberto just wanted to stop me from reaching out... and it worked. But after six months or so I just needed to tell him how I felt, I needed to tell him some truths, so I wrote a letter - old school I know, but I thought it would come across more sincere than an email or a text. I wanted to put my feelings on to paper, I wanted to bare my soul to him through that letter - so I had Alicia do some digging for me and find out where he was living. She told me he was in New York and that she’d managed to get his address. She’d deleted him off Facebook so I knew she’d really dug deep to find out, she knew she couldn’t ask you to help as you hated me, so I loved her more than ever for finding his address. Anyway - I wrote this long letter to him, telling him everything - and I mean _everything_ , I told him I was in Barcelona... but he never replied, he never came to see me, he never even acknowledged it”, she finished with a murmur.

“Maybe he didn’t get the letter?” Ágata queried. 

“Well that’s what I thought. Earlier tonight I thought I’d figured it out - I thought that Sergio and Silene had been an item, so I let myself believe that actually she must have hidden the letter, it must have been down to her. All this time I thought he’d ignored me, but actually it must have been because of _her_. But now you’ve told me that Silene left you in Lisbon - so it couldn’t have been her. Sergio must have genuinely ignored my letter and not wanted anything to do with me. He knew my writing, he probably ripped it in two without even opening the envelope. No, I was wrong, it couldn’t have been down to her at all.” Raquel was devastated at the thought, she’d got her hopes up for the shortest time, but now they’d been shot down in flames.

Ágata fell quiet, stunned in to silence.

Raquel frowned at her, trying to read her expression. “What?”

“Actually”, Ágata confessed, “it very well could have been her, Raquel.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well once Sergio was properly settled in New York, it must have been - _yes_ \- six months or so after you left, I secretly gathered everyone to surprise him... a welcome to America party I called it. I wanted to show him how proud we all were of him and how happy we were that he had fallen in to his dream job. Everyone came - even Silene. She was in Thailand at the time, still travelling on her own, I had no idea about any of what she did to you Raquel, _no idea_ , if I had I wouldn’t have invited her... but I did. I told her to come, I said it would be nice for us all to have a few days in New York, for Sergio, like old times.

“And she came?”

“Yes”, Ágata paused, “she got the next flight to New York and stayed with us for five nights. She didn’t try anything with Sergio - I don’t think she dared. But if your letter came while she was there... then, yes - she very well could have taken it Raquel.”

She knew it, but yet she didn’t react immediately. She simply stared in to the distance, frowning, letting this information sink in. Breaking the silence Ágata asked the inevitable question.

“Was there something specific in the letter you wanted him to know?”

She sighed and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

“Yes, _of course_ there was, you know there was. There were many things - but, well, one thing in particular I really wanted to share with him, one thing I thought he deserved to know.”

She scrambled to gather her words, she wasn’t sure whether she should be telling Ágata this, not before Sergio at least, but before she could say anything else she heard the vibration of her phone coming from within the clutch bag on the bench next to her; she reached out with a shaky hand to remove the device from within, turning it over to see Alicia’s name flashing on the screen - _shit_ , she must have been looking for her. She couldn’t bring herself to answer, so she stared at the phone, unblinking until it stopped vibrating, silence embracing them once more. 

Before she had time to comprehend, she heard Ágata’s sharp inhale of breath from where she was perched next to her. She quickly glanced sideways noticing her shocked expression, before following her gaze down to the screensaver on her phone. 

“Who is that?” Ágata whispered and Raquel knew, her secret had been discovered. 

“This is what I’ve-“

But she was interrupted before she had time to explain. She heard the snap of a twig behind them and swirled in her seat suddenly to see Sergio a few metres away, standing awkwardly, mouth hanging open in surprise. _He’d been spying_ , and she dreaded to think how much he’d heard of her revelations; what if he’d heard things out of context and got the wrong end of the stick. She turned back towards Ágata who was still staring silently at the phone in Raquel’s lap, eyes wide and face frozen in shock.

“Are you okay?” Sergio broke the silence, gently asking her a question he already knew the answer to. 

She knew the tear tracks were clear on her face, she knew he would be able to tell she’d been crying, she didn’t want to lie any more.

“Not really, no. I’ve been talking to Ágata, we’ve been sharing some truths”, she smiled sadly at him, turning her attention back to the woman on the bench, checking she was alright. As if snapping from her daze Ágata stood and grabbed Raquel, pulling her close, and she realised what this meant - she didn’t blame her, she wasn’t angry at her, she understood; she held on to her for several long moments, before whispering in her ear so only she could hear. 

“Honey, you have to tell him, you have to tell him now.”

She pulled back and looked Raquel square in the face, nodding reassuringly. She stepped back and smiled at the both of them, grazing Sergio’s shoulder gently as she walked away, leaving the two of them alone, together, once more. 

“How much did you hear?” She dared to ask, placing the phone back in her bag - _out of sight, out of mind_ , she thought.

“Well I followed you out here almost immediately, but Ágata beat me to it - I knew she was out here having a cigarette, so I should have known she’d get to you before me. At least she was nice to you”, he laughed, nervously nudging his glasses back up his nose. 

“ _Sergio_ ”, she paused, looking at him earnestly. “How much did you hear?”

“I heard everything Raquel, I heard it all - and _god_ , I’m _so sorry_. I was a dick, I can see that now - I know that now and I’m sorry. I so desperately wanted to interrupt you, to stop you... but you were opening up and all I could do was stand around the corner listening to the pair of you talk - and I know I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry, but, _truthfully_... I’m so glad I did.”

Her eyes were shining, she was smiling softly at him, and in three small steps he moved forward and swept her up in to his arms, squeezing her tightly. 

“Raquel, _please_ \- I’m sorry, so - so sorry”, he muttered in to her hair, repeating his sorrows over and over again.

He put her down, taking her face in his hands and searching her eyes for forgiveness. For a second, a weight had been lifted, the world seemed lighter, her future seemed brighter. She felt the electricity returning between them and she so desperately wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to pull her close and kiss her senseless, until the both of them were breathless and consumed with one another. He was so handsome, looking straight in to her eyes, straight in to her soul and she could see the longing on his face; he wanted her just as much as she wanted him, after all this time. She’d _almost_ forgotten how easy it was with him, but this was so familiar, so natural, she hadn’t seem him in four years; but it was as if no time had passed at all. She reached for his hands, still planted on her cheeks and kissed each one of his fingertips, his mouth parting in to a silent 'oh' at the gesture. She knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him, she wanted nothing more than to take him back to her hotel, lay with him in the downy pillows, strip each other of their clothes, of their secrets and come together, over and over again until they’d succumb to slumber in each others arms. The fire between them was burning bright, the embers sparking wildly; _this_ was inevitable. 

He must have sensed her thoughts and caught the look in her eyes, his lips turned up in to a gorgeous smirk.

“ _Raquel_ ”, he warned. “We need to talk, as much as I want to, _god knows I want to_. We need to talk about everything - there’s so much to talk about, so much to uncover.”

She moved even closer to him, her hands snaking around his waist, coming to rest on his lower back, stroking, teasing, ever so slowly, _so gently_.

“But I desperately want to”, he sputtered, the words catching as he tried to clear his throat and catch his breath. “I want to, _with you_ , so badly.”

She beamed at him once more, knowing she had him right where she wanted him. He was never able to say no to her, not when she was initiating it and turning him on like this, but she liked to play the game with him, she liked to let him think he could stop her. 

“Okay, well I tried - let’s head back inside then. We can get a drink and find somewhere quiet to talk.” She unwrapped her arms from around him, scratching her nails lightly across his waist, along his stomach, down towards his belt, before she stepped backwards and turned to move away from him in the direction of the foyer. 

He reached out to her before she could get very far, pulling her back to him by her wrist, holding her flush against the front of his body, pinning her hands behind her with one hand while the other gently traced her face, down over her bare shoulder, nudging her neck to the side... before he lowered his face and began fluttering gentle kisses at her throat, nipping and licking and sucking as he went; they were completely at each other’s mercy. 

“Sergio...”, she sighed, “someone could see us, go back, step back, further around the corner - please.”

He hummed against her neck moving backwards, pulling her with him, never once losing contact with her silky skin. She moved her head slightly to look at him, he was a vision, the moonlight reflected off of his velvety complexion and he took her breath away, _how had she ever let this man go_.

She didn’t want to lose any more of this stolen time with him, so she tugged gently at his hair, pulling him up, his face directly in front of her. She leaned in to kiss him, one hand cupping his cheek as their lips softly brushed together, delicately, as if discovering each other all over again. They lost themselves in kiss, after kiss, after kiss, when suddenly she needed him so badly. He must have felt the same, for before she had time to deepen the kiss, his hand had disappeared in to her hair, the other holding her close by the small of her back; and he was giving everything to her, she felt all of his pain, his sadness, _his love_. She wound her arms around his neck, her hands tangling in his hair as she kissed him back with just as much hunger. 

“I want to-“ he muttered against her lips. 

“Me too”,she replied, knowing what he wanted, _fuck_ , she wanted it too.

“But not here Raquel, our first time in four years won’t be behind a brick wall.”

She laughed into his mouth and she felt him swallow the sound, it was as if he wanted to bottle it up and keep it within him, forever. The thought filled her with so much happiness; she felt like she could burst. 

They slowed down, kissing lazily, sloppy kisses that were filled with passion, filled with desperation. She wanted to carry on, but he was right, not against a brick wall in public - and not until they’d talked first. They continued to kiss languidly, tasting each other, filling up on one another. He flipped their positions suddenly, pressing her up against the wall, his hardness apparent as he moved against her, wanting to feel all of her, wanting to be as close to each other as possible so they wouldn’t know where each one of them began and the other one ended. She tipped her head back with a sigh, letting it thump gently against the wall, her hands grinding in his hair as he moved to ravish her throat once more. She moaned breathlessly as he began the pattern again, lick, nip, suck, lick, nip, suck; her neck had always been her weak spot and he hadn’t forgotten it after all this time. He was enjoying every moment, the sounds she was making, her hands tugging his hair, spurring him on, he hummed in appreciation against her skin as his hands grazed down her sides, over her hips, down, over her ass. His mouth was like magic, she imagined him lowering his face, kissing down her body, all the way down, burying himself between her thighs, using his tongue, over and over and over again, not stopping until she...

But the thought was abruptly disturbed by the vibration starting again from deep within her clutch bag.

“Sergio - my phone”, she muttered, raising her hands to his shoulders, but not trying very hard to resist him. 

He ignored her, not stopping the attack against her skin, he’d moved the strap of her dress to the side and was nipping at her shoulder, his tongue following the path, his hands gently squeezing her behind, reminding himself what he’d missed for four long years. 

She pushed him away ever so slightly, laughing as he rose to look at her, his lips red and swollen, his face flushed and eyes filled with desire and lust. 

“I need to answer my phone, it’s probably Alicia looking for me, I’ve been gone for ages”, she whispered. “Besides like you said, not against a brick wall, we need to talk too”, she finished with a smile; she was pleased to see him smiling back. 

She pulled her phone out and sure enough Alicia’s name was flashing on the screen again, but as she swiped to answer, the call rang off, she’d missed it again. 

“Fuck sake, sorry, but I’m going to have to go back inside to find her, she’ll be worrying about me.”

She glanced up at him to see him staring at the illuminated phone in her hand, she’d done it again; earlier with Ágata and now with him. 

She hastily moved to put the phone back in her bag, but he stopped her, grabbing her hand mid air before she could put the device out of sight. She swallowed nervously, cautiously watching his expression, trying to gauge any reaction from him, she knew he’d seen the screensaver too, she knew he’d ask. She closed her eyes, waiting for the onslaught of questions she knew he would unleash. 

He let out a breath and she opened her eyes to look at him, he returned his gaze to her face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

“Is that your niece?” He asked genuinely, a small smile dancing on his lips. 

“My niece?” She raised her eyebrows in surprise. 

“Yeah”, he nodded towards her phone, “the little girl on your screensaver, is she your niece?”

She sighed, she almost didn’t want to tell him, she didn’t want to have this conversation, not here, not less than a minute after they’d been passionately reconnecting with one another. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words were lost, so she swallowed and bit her tongue. He noticed though, his eyes flitting between hers, trying to understand, _he hadn’t figured it out_ , she thought. 

“No”, she whispered, “she isn’t my niece.”

He frowned. “Raquel?”

“Sergio”, she started, hesitantly. She wasn’t sure how he was going to react, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but there was no going back now. “She’s my daughter.”

He shot her a look, grimacing ever so slightly as he took a couple of steps back; he obviously hadn’t been expecting that.

“You have a... you - have a... a _daughter_?” he stammered, his voice so low she barely heard him. 

“Actually”, she carried on, smoothing out her dress and pulling the strap back on to her shoulder. She needed to be strong, she wanted him to know how strong she’d been for all these years... without him.

“Actually what, Raquel?” He waved a hand in front of her, completely oblivious as to what she was trying to explain to him. 

“Actually, _we_ have a daughter”, she managed to get out, she sounded much stronger than she felt in that moment. The look on his face, she felt like her legs would give out at any second. 

“ _We have a daughter_?”, he repeated, softly. 

She nodded slowly, she didn’t want to scare him away. She knew this was life changing news, five minutes ago he was a single guy about to hook up with his ex at his college reunion, now he was a father; a father to a daughter he never knew existed. 

“We do. Her name is Paula. She’s three, going on thirteen”, she laughed nervously, scanning his face for a reaction to her words, but he was frozen to the spot, his eyes faraway - she’d lost him.

“The letter you mentioned earlier”, he whispered, “did you write it in the letter?” 

“I did... I told you all about my pregnancy, I told you everything, but you never replied so I left you to it. I thought you’d moved on, so I stopped chasing and I let you be.”

“You didn’t think to fucking ring me, or email me, or get Alicia to pass the news on”, he spat out through his teeth. _Was he angry_? How dare he be angry. 

“Excuse me?” she replied coldly. “ _I didn’t think_? Last I heard Sergio you were shacking up with Silene, I sent you a letter, I poured my heart out and I never got a reply! I wasn’t going to chase you. I went home, waited for you to come and get me, to get _us_... but you never did. You never looked back, not once - you moved to New York and moved on with your life.” 

“I thought you were with Alberto!” He was yelling now, he rarely raised his voice, so when he did, she knew he was angry. 

“And _you_ didn’t think to check? To find out for yourself? No... you were all too busy thinking I’d done something that I’d _never_ do to you. Sergio, I was _crazy_ about you! You were the love of my life, my forever... do you know how much it hurt to see you believe Silene over me? It killed me, Sergio - broke my heart in two. I went back to Barcelona and six weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I waited for you but you never came, so I wrote you a letter, hoping you’d read it and come and get me, want to be a family... but you didn’t.”

“You could have rung me Raquel. _Jesus Christ_ , this is a baby - my baby for fuck sake! You’ve kept a child a secret for almost four years, how could you do this to me Raquel? I never thought you’d be capable of this." 

She watched as a tear slid down his cheek and her dam broke again. She couldn’t contain it anymore, he finally knew and he hated her for it. The tears poured from her and as she looked in to his eyes she could see the pain and sadness etched there. He wasn’t looking at her with lust and longing any more, _no_ , he was looking at her with disappointment and emptiness. 

He backed away from her, smoothing his hair and straightening his bow tie; wiping the wetness from his cheeks as he went. 

“Sergio”, she stepped forwards, approaching him tentatively, but he stepped further away from her. 

He shook his head, “I’m sorry you had to go through all that on your own. I’m sorry you didn’t think you could reach out to me, I’m sorry you couldn’t bring yourself to tell me the truth.”

Her mind was racing, but she couldn’t find the words to stop him, she didn’t know what to say to make this better.

“I need to go”, he decided resolutely, nodding once. 

She looked at him, her face twisting with hurt. She opened her mouth to say something, but words escaped her; so she simply nodded back at him. 

“I hope she’s happy - Paula I mean. I know you’ll have been a fantastic mother and will continue to be. I’m sorry you didn’t think me worthy enough to know about our daughter sooner. If I hadn't come here tonight I never would have known about her at all, you'd have kept this from me forever.”

“Sergio, no, that’s not what this was - you have to understand, you have to believe me, _please_...”

He pivoted slowly, moving away, considering her words for a short moment. 

“I do Raquel, I get it don’t worry. I wish you nothing but happiness, but I can’t do this, I just _can’t_.”

With that he turned and walked away. Not believing her eyes she blinked rapidly, she watched him anxiously, willing him silently to stop and turn around; to come back to her. She closed her eyes for the briefest moment, inhaling deeply, but when she opened them and saw the emptiness in front of her, realisation dawned. He’d left her again, _he was gone_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you were guessing in the comments about what Raquel's secret could have been.. if you guessed it was a baby Paula please let me know in the comments box below.  
> I'm making it my mission to post a chapter every Sunday, so stick with me and I promise I'll be better next time and won't keep you waiting so long.  
> 


	4. Love Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding out Raquel's secret, how will Sergio react? Will he ever find out what was in the letter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly I just want to say thank you for so many lovely comments on the previous chapter. I’m so enjoying writing this fic and seeing how much you’re loving it really encourages me to write more. Honestly I’m having so much fun and it’s such an escapism for me at the moment. So here is chapter 4, it’s a bit different to the previous chapters so far as I write from both of their POV, but hopefully you enjoy it just as much. Please let me know what you think in the comment box below, I loveeee reading all your comments. Kudos also are very much appreciated.

Raquel pressed her forehead to the taxi window on the deafeningly quiet journey back to the hotel, her eyes tightly squeezed shut the entire ride. The drive only took five minutes, but it seemed to drag on for an eternity; especially since she was all by herself, with no one to talk to, no one to turn to for comfort. She’d left Alicia at the reunion, her best friend had insisted on coming back to the hotel with her, but she didn’t want to deprive her of this night; she was having such fun with Andrés that Raquel simply couldn’t bear to tear her away. She’d assured her she was okay, but truthfully she felt broken, she wanted to be on her own for the remainder of the evening. Alicia however could see straight through her, she knew the tear tracks were still apparent on her cheeks when she’d found her and told her she was leaving; but she’d demanded her friend stay to have fun and left with the promise of seeing her in the morning, bright and early. She’d summarised the evenings events, but she’d fill her in properly tomorrow, tonight it was all still too raw.

She hadn’t seen Sergio again, she assumed he’d left the party the second he walked away from her. She couldn’t blame him of course, he’d just found out he had a child, a part of him, _a tiny human_ , half his. A beautiful little babe, who reminded Raquel of Sergio in so many ways, every single day. The way Paula threw her head back when overcome with peals of laughter; _just like her father_ , the way her eyebrows furrowed when she concentrated on a task; _just like her father_ , the way she nodded once - always just once - when responding to a serious question; _just like her father_. It wasn’t just in the toddlers delightfully quirky little mannerisms either, no, to look at she was every inch a Marquina. Paula’s eyes were what reminded her the most of Sergio, her innocent eyes, so pure and wide, the colour of hot chocolate on a winters day, flecked with hazel and gold; when Raquel looked in to her little girl’s eyes, it was like staring in to the soul of the man she loved more than any other in the world. Sure, it hurt some days to see him staring back, but most of the time she took unbreakable comfort from it, especially since she was always met with a wide, gappy grin and sloppy kisses from the most perfect little being to ever grace her life. The little girl had been made from pure love, the product of a relationship filled with such devotion and undying passion. Yes, her and Sergio had split eventually - _before the girl’s existence was ever known_ , but there was no doubt that Paula had been made during a time when love was the only thing that filled their hearts to the brim. Raquel had sworn to herself since day one to always tell Paula how loved and treasured she was, she whispered it in to her downy curls every evening before bed, as they sat in their rocking chair, blissfully content with only each other’s company at the end of another long day. She’d cradle her close to her chest, repeatedly telling her how much she loved her, how much her papa loved her, how she’d been the end result of the greatest time of her life - _until now_ ; now Paula was her greatest adventure and proudest accomplishment. It had always been the two of them, they’d been inseparable since the day she was born, not only mother and daughter, they were the best of friends as well; Raquel would continue to be there for her daughter no matter what, until the last breath left her body. She was her magical little miracle and if Sergio didn’t want to be a part of the sweet girl’s life, well, it was his loss. 

The taxi slowed to a stop in front of the hotel, it wasn’t very late and she could see the hustle and bustle inside the lobby. All she wanted to do was climb in to bed and sleep off the barrage of emotions she felt, she was utterly drained and emotionally spent. As she made her way across the lobby and stumbled in to the elevator, she closed her eyes and imagined being back at home in Barcelona - in 24 hours time she’d be back with her baby; she could almost imagine Paula snuggling in to her arms and enveloping her neck with her chubby little fists, she could almost smell the sweet, fruity essence of shampoo in her soft, blonde curls. _Just 24 hours time and this nightmare would be over and she could go back to her life,_ she reminded herself - she would return home and try to act blissfully unaware of the fact that Sergio knew of her life and had decided to simply walk away. _No,_ she didn’t need him, all she needed was Paula and all Paula needed was her. They’d be fine.  
As the elevator dinged to notify her of its arrival to her floor, she let out a long, weary breath and made for the direction of her room on shaky legs. 

24 hours.

_Just 24 more hours.._

———————————————

He had no idea how long he’d been walking. The seconds had merged in to minutes, the minutes felt as though they had merged in to hours; he had no concept of time. Sergio found himself wandering aimlessly along the streets of Madrid, subconsciously walking the route back to his old apartment, _their_ old apartment. He stood on the opposite side of the road and stared aimlessly up at the window, it was five floors above ground so impossible to look in to, but it felt like only yesterday they’d spent their last few months there, together, cooped up in the cosy little space. The walls had been filled with so many wonderful memories, they began to flood his senses as he looked up at the building in wonder; making pancakes together on a lazy Sunday, watching Netflix cuddled up in bed before they got distracted with... other things, sitting on the balcony hand in hand drinking coffee. He smiled at the memories when suddenly a thought occurred to him, _had it been there that they had made their baby_?

_Their baby._

Not even a baby, she was a child now. A three year old, a real, little person. _Three years_ he had missed out on his daughter’s life.

He was angry, he was furious, but was it really at Raquel? The longer he had been walking and had time to gather his thoughts, he realised that deep down he was angry at himself and not her. Sure, she could have called him, but it worked both ways, he could have reached out to her too - but he never did. He thought back to her earlier conversation with Ágata, he should have believed her all those years ago, he’d been an idiot back then and he had believed Silene over her; _why the fuck had he not believed her_? They had been so young, he’d been mad at the whole situation, the discussion of her wanting to move to New York and him travel the world had been getting to him, he’d snapped; he’d lost his patience and spoke to her like utter shit, something he had never forgiven himself for, something he thought about all the time - still to this day.

As he gradually came back to his senses he turned and began the steady journey back to his hotel, hands shoved deep in to his pockets, head burrowed in thought. He didn’t know what to do, who to talk to, he simply needed some time to think and his hotel room felt like the only sanctuary right now. Truth be told he felt lost, he felt hurt, but most of all he felt heartbroken. Heartbroken that he’d let the love of his life leave all them years ago when she’d been telling the truth, heartbroken he’d lost her because he’d believed other people over her - he still couldn’t think why. But mainly he was heartbroken that all of this unnecessary anguish had made him miss out on being a father, and being a family with the one person, no, _two people_ he loved more than anything else in this world. Could him and Raquel ever go back to what they had been all them years ago? So much time had passed between them, so many secrets and lies, they were different people now, she was a mother, hell - he was a father. He wasn’t sure if he had the ability to even be a father to Paula, he’d never spent any time around children, he was confident he wouldn’t be very good at it; maybe he wasn’t ready, maybe they were better off without him after all.

In no time at all he was back at his hotel, he contemplated for a moment whether he should keep walking, to clear his head some more, but the thought of a hot shower and the comfortable king size bed felt all too inviting, he was completely done in and needed to rest. Tonight had been a lot to process, so he decided with a definite nod that he would take some time to think and sleep and make a plan in the morning.

As he wandered in to the brightly lit lobby a familiar face was waiting on the leather couch, deeply engrossed in their phone, fingers hurriedly typing away at a frantic message. He knew this conversation was inevitable if not tonight then tomorrow, so he decided to slowly make his away over to the seating area to talk.

“Andrés? Why are you back so early?” he called out to his friend, exasperation filling his every word. As relieved as he was to see him, he really didn’t have the energy for this, not tonight.

Andrés’ head snapped up instantly as he rose to his feet.

“Where the hell have you been? Do you not know how to answer your fucking phone?”

“I - I just had enough, I wanted to get out of there - it wasn’t really my thing to be honest.”

“Oh right, so it wasn’t anything to do with Raquel, no? Or the fact she dropped some massive fucking bombshell on you tonight? Not that, no?"

He struggled to hide the pain he knew had flashed across his face, he swallowed down the bile that was rising in his throat - _great, so everyone knew already_ , he thought to himself. He already felt guilty enough, he didn’t need everyone knowing and lecturing him now. He was sure they weren’t going to be hounding Raquel for answers.

“Don’t worry, Alicia is planning on talking some sense in to Raquel in the morning too”, Andrés interrupted his thoughts as if reading his mind perfectly. “I know about the kid, Sergio. I know she told you tonight and the pair of you ended up arguing and walking out on each other... again”, he shook his head in silent frustration.

Sergio nodded silently as he squinted his eyes at his friend, he didn’t want anyone making Raquel feel bad for what had happened tonight, or over the past four years for that matter.

“I don’t want Alicia making her feel like she owes me anything - anyone anything, actually. She did what she needed to do. Truth is she tried to reach out to me, she wrote me a letter that I never got, I think it must have been-“

“Silene, yeah. It was her... of course it was her, Sergio. All of your problems over the years have been caused by Silene. The woman is sexy, but honestly how anyone can be that manipulative and batshit crazy is beyond me”, Andrés chuckled. How he found humour in this situation was beyond Sergio, but he bit his tongue and let him have his moment.

“Did Silene admit to it then? What happened?”

“Well Raquel called Alicia and I could see by her face it was bad, I could hear her sobbing through the phone, I realised then that you’d gone... it sounded like you’d just had an argument, but then I kept hearing her say the word baby and it clicked in my mind. Before Alicia even had the time to react and go and find her, Ágata came tearing in and slapped Silene across the face - honestly I wish you’d seen it, it was like years of hatred had been put in to one epic bitch slap. Remind me to never cross Ágata will you?”

Sergio waited for him to continue with bated breath. He really hoped Ágata hadn’t mentioned anything about Paula, not in front of a room full of near strangers.

“Ág dragged her outside, Alicia running after them, I obviously wanted to see the show and find out what the fuck was going on so I followed. It was amazing Sergio, Ágata was screaming at Silene, telling her she’d ruined two peoples lives who were so desperately in love, I’ve never seen her so angry before, honestly she was fucking raging. Anyway she was saying all this stuff about Ibiza, some letter and Silene just stood there, hands on hips, snarly grin on her face. It’s not right of me to say I know, but I could have punched her then and there too, she was so fucking smug."

Sergio swallowed hard. He felt sick to his core.

“And Raquel? What about Raquel, where was she?”

“I dunno, she wasn’t there, Alicia ran off to find her. I couldn’t leave though, I had to break it up between Ágata and Silene - god knows what would have happened if they’d been on their own. Blood would have been shed I reckon.”

Sergio looked around the lobby, his hands brushing over his face. So it had all been true, Silene really had been the one to fuck up his life all them years ago. _God, he really did fucking hate her_ , he never wanted to lay eyes on her again. Before he could bring himself to speak, Andrés continued on, excitedly recalling the events of the evening.

“Silene owned up to setting Raquel up with Alberto, she thought it would be funny or some shit. Ág was trying to get her to apologise but she wouldn’t do it, she just kept laughing saying it was a joke. Then she was confronted about some letter - and that’s when her face dropped. She seemed a bit lost for words at first, but eventually she owned up to it... said she took it to protect you apparently. She knew the writing to be Raquel’s and she didn’t think it would do you any good to read it.”

“What the fuck has that got to do with her? She had no right!” Sergio spat out, he could feel the blood boiling within him. If Silene had left the letter alone he would have known about Paula, he would have known Raquel was waiting for him; he could have made it back to her in time for the birth of their child.

“Yeah I know, don’t worry - Ágata gave her what for, demanded to know what the letter said... but she swore she’d never read it, she said she took it but didn’t open it - at least she had a little bit of decency in her I suppose.”

“Bullshit. Of course she read it”, he said acidly. He knew she’d read Raquel’s words, words meant _only_ for him.

“Well - actually... she didn’t”, Andrés whispered while reaching inside his blazer to pull out a white envelope; it was tatty and ratted at the edges, but it had clearly never been opened. He could see the date stamped on the front, could see her swirly handwriting, could see his New York address - _he could see this was the letter._

He reached out with a shaky hand to take the envelope off Andrés, never taking his eyes off of the object in front of him. He turned it over in his hands, again and again, not believing that he’d finally received it after all this time.

“How? - Why?... Silene bought this with her?” He stuttered quietly. All comprehendible conversation was lost to him now.

Andrés smiled softly, placing his hand on Sergio’s shoulder.

“Apparently she was going to give it back to Raquel tonight, explain to her why she took it and why she felt that Raquel should leave you alone. Honestly, I don’t believe her, I think she probably wanted to stir up some shit and cause an argument. But why does it matter? You have it now and you know the truth. I suggest you read this and take some time to decide what you want. No one expects anything of you, you’re only human... take all the time you need. I haven’t spoken to Raquel, but I know she will understand, she loved you once and I think she probably still loves you now - so don’t punish yourself, alright?”

Sergio nodded, tears filling his eyes as he looked down at the envelope once more. He took a small step forward, and before he knew it Andrés had gathered him in to his arms for a hug. He was grateful for his friend, whether he knew it or not it was such a relief to have him here at this moment, he took such comfort from hearing the truth from him, told in such Andrés fashion.

“Go and take some time, do what you need to do okay? I’m going to save my husband from Alicia... she’s amazing, but I’m not sure Martín will be able to cope without me”, he laughed heartedly, stepping back from Sergio with a grin on his face. He moved towards the door, waving on the way out, leaving him alone to ponder his next move. 

It took him every ounce of self restraint to not sink down on the couch and open the envelope then and there, but he wanted to go back to his room; he wanted to read this in private, he owed her that much at least. He swiftly made his way for the stairs, he didn’t want to waste time waiting for the elevator, he didn’t want to waste another minute not knowing what was written on the pages clenched within his fist.

Before he knew it, he was outside his hotel room, he hadn’t even realised he’d made it so quickly. Panting he unlocked the door and hastily made his way inside, gliding towards the bed and sinking down on to it at the foot. He fiddled with the weathered envelope for some time, he couldn’t bring himself to open it. What if it told him how much she hated him, what if it told him how much of a fool he’d been? _No_ , he knew Raquel would never, could never be so cruel. He ripped it open slowly, pulling the pages out before turning them over in his hands one final time. He took a deep, shuddery breath, all the air and tension leaving him in an instant; he looked down at the slightly yellowed pages and saw her beautiful handwriting and began to read.

_Sergio,_

__

_How are you? It seems silly writing that question since I know you can’t answer me, but I hope you’re doing okay, honestly I do._

_Before your mind goes in to overdrive and you start guessing how I got your address, let me tell you. It was Alicia. Please don’t be mad at Ágata or Mon or Daniel, it was all me and Alicia, we did some digging and found you in New York. Very nice by the way! The Big Apple, it should have been me living there, but I’m so glad it’s you, you deserve this more than anyone else I know - including myself.  
The thing is, I had to write to you, I needed to write to you. I didn’t think my feelings would be as heartfelt in a text message or an email, the thought of telling you all of this over a typed message made me feel weird, it didn’t feel truthful enough - it didn’t feel like us. You know me, I’ve always been a hopeless romantic, the idea of writing love letters always made me feel warm and fluffy inside. Do you remember the time you wrote me a book of love letters for valentines? Still to this day that’s the best present you ever gave to me, better than the expensive gold locket last year - crazy I know!_

_As you can probably tell by now, I’m nervous. Actually no, I’m not nervous - I’m petrified. I’m petrified to tell you this incase you hate me forever, but well, you already hate me and won’t speak to me, so I guess I have nothing to lose. This won’t take long to read so please don’t put this letter down, please don’t shut me out, not now._

_You’re the greatest person in the entire world, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You loved me when I thought I was unlovable, you made me feel beautiful on the days I felt my worst, you made me feel special even when I was being awful to you and didn’t deserve it. You made me feel alive, you made me feel young and carefree and above all.. you made me happy, so fucking happy... I felt like I was living in a dream every single moment I spent with you. You made me the very best version of myself Sergio, I owe who I am today to you, truthfully I do._

_I need to start by telling you that nothing happened with me and Alberto. I know what it looked like and I’m not going to get in to it now, not through a letter. I hope you will reach out to me and when you do I can tell you in person. But I need you to know that I didn’t sleep with him, it was a set up, it was all a lie to come between us. I’m not going to start pointing fingers and blaming other people, I hope you will eventually figure it out for yourself, but I promise you on my father’s grave, nothing ever happened. I haven’t seen Alberto since I left Ibiza, since I left you. You have to believe me about this - one day I hope you will._

_Funnily enough, the reason I’m writing to you has nothing to do with our breakup, nothing to do with that crazy night. The truth is - and please make sure you’re sitting down for this - I’m pregnant Sergio, I’m pregnant with our baby. Take a minute, I know it’s a lot to digest, trust me... I don’t think it’s fully sunk in for me yet and I’ve known for months! I’m not telling you this because I expect anything from you, I’m simply telling you as I believe it’s your right to know. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t tell the father of my child there was a tiny, little life about to come in to this world - I could never do that to you, or to this innocent soul growing inside of me._

_Truthfully, I considered for a while getting rid of it, the idea of doing this alone wasn’t something I was keen on... I always imagined us having a baby years from now, but it was always us, together, a team, raising these amazing children, having so much fun and so many laughs - all the time with so much love. So doing this without you, it didn’t seem like the best idea. But then I realised that I’m going to be a mother... a mother Sergio, can you believe it? It means that I’ll always have a piece of you with me, no matter how far away you are. When I realised that, getting rid of this baby was not an option._

_Of course I’m terrified - to be a first time mother, a single mother at that, I’m scared of doing this without you, of doing this alone - but of course I won’t be alone. I’m going to have this amazing little person with me now for the rest of my life. This perfect little soul that is half me and half you, someone made up of our love and oh my god did we love each other. I promise you I will love this child with every inch of my being and I know you will too, I’ll let them know, don’t worry, even if you decide this isn’t for you and you can’t be a part of this. I don’t blame you Sergio, I swear I won’t blame you. But every morning and every night when me and the baby are cuddling in bed, or taking a walk just the two of us, I’ll make sure I tell them just how special they are and just how much you have loved them from the very beginning._

_Please know this baby will be so very loved, not only by me, but by my mama and sister as well. Mama was angry at first, called me irresponsible, but she’s so excited now, we’ve been decorating the spare room to be a nursery - it’s a duck egg blue shade, your favourite colour! I wanted to include you as much as I can and I’ll make sure our baby knows the nursery was painted in their papa's favourite colour. We’ve made it so cosy, it’s perfect. We’ve bought a rocking chair, just like the one my mama had when I was little - I can’t wait to sit in there with the baby, rocking peacefully, whispering secrets and showering them with kisses._

_Don’t be worried for me Sergio, now I’ve realised my future, I’m so very excited, so very grateful for this little miracle that will be here, with me, very soon!_

_I understand this is a lot to process and I get it if it’s not something you want - it wasn’t something we planned so I won’t hold it against you if you decide this isn’t for you, there is no pressure at all for you to be involved, I’ll be okay - we’ll be okay. I’m living in Barcelona, I’m back with my mama if you want to reach out to me, I don’t currently have anywhere else to go. I’ll probably move in to a little apartment eventually - when the baby comes that is, but until then you can find me at my mother’s. If I don’t hear from you it’s okay - I mean that... and I promise I’ll never bother you again, I’ll let you live your life and be happy. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. But please know that I’ll treasure this baby, this parting gift, this little piece of you - I’ll think of you every single day as I look in to their eyes._

_I hope you know how happy you made me my love, truly. I’ve never been happier in all my life, than when I was with you. You were my greatest adventure and I thank you for loving me for all those years. I hope you’ll never forget me, I know I’ll never forget you._

_You know where to find me if you want me, if you want us. I’ll be here waiting._

_I’ll love you forever my darling... forever and a day._

_Yours, always,_

_Raquel x_

He stared at the letter, the pages shaking wearily in his hands. He stared for minutes, hours, he wasn’t sure anymore; the world had stopped in that moment. He reread the letter again and again, reading her handwriting over and over as if carving the words in to his memory for eternity. She’d told him, she’d reached out to him when she was alone and terrified and completely abandoned by him and their friends. She’d reached out to him with so much love and understanding, love that he hadn’t deserved, not after the way he’d made her leave all them years ago, not after the way he’d left her again, _tonight._ He snapped out of his daze, blinking repeatedly to clear his eyes - to clear the haze in his mind. He couldn’t let this happen again, he _wouldn’t_ let this happen again.

The years had gone by in such a hurry, he’d missed out on so much of what their lives could have been, he’d missed out being with the love of his life every single day, he’d missed out on their beautiful daughter, he’d missed out on it all; _he’d missed out on being a family._ He’d been stupid all those years ago not listening to her, _fuck,_ he’d been stupid for four years, he was being stupid again now; but he wouldn’t be stupid for a minute longer, he wouldn’t miss out on one more second with her, _with them_. 

He shook himself to, shoving the letter in to his jacket pocket, grabbing his key as he made his way to the hotel room door. 

He was done being stupid. 

He wanted to win back the woman who held his heart with every fibre of her being.

He wanted to be a father to the little girl he loved more than anything else in the world without even having met her.

He wanted them both; _wanted it all._

In an instant he was out the door and running for the elevator; he just hoped he wasn’t too late.


	5. Time To Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio races to make it in time to Raquel, but will she want to listen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! It’s Sunday, which means I’m back with a new chapter.  
> I just want to say thank you all so much for sticking with me and this story - your lovely words of encouragement mean so much to me and make it so easy to write :)  
> I just want to quickly say that in this story Andrés and Sergio are friends, they aren’t brothers.. it doesn’t mean anything to the story, but just wanted to clarify!

Sergio had never sprinted so fast in his life, he was starting to produce small beads of sweat and could see flickering stars forming in his vision, but he couldn’t slow down, he wouldn’t allow his feet to lessen their pace in the slightest. He needed to get to her and even though he was running as fast as he could, he still felt it was far too slow. He’d loosened his shirt collar a couple of blocks back, removing the bow tie and stuffing it hastily in to his blazer pocket; the crisp evening breeze welcome as it slipped around his neck, cooling the clammy skin at his nape. 

As he’d made his way down to the lobby he’d quickly sent a message to Andrés, he knew his friend was back with Alicia and he needed to find out where Raquel was staying; he was running to her, but truth be told he had no idea where she even was. In less than twenty seconds Andrés had responded - Sergio knew he could count on him, he’d never let him down. 

_The Grand Union Hotel, room 412_ , came the reply. 

That was how Sergio found himself franticly tearing through the streets of Madrid on this Friday evening, sprinting the seven blocks from his hotel to hers. He’d found where she was staying and he needed to be with her as soon as possible; nothing would stop him now. 

Rounding the final street corner, he saw the hotel towering menacingly in front of him and slowed his sprint to a gentle jog, before coming to a stop in front of the revolving doors. Now he was here, he was absolutely terrified. What if she slapped him, what if she ignored him, but worst of all - _what if she turned him away forever_. He couldn’t allow himself to think like that, he knew that wasn’t Raquel, but honestly he wouldn’t blame her. So much time had passed between them, she may very well turn him away and send him packing back to New York; _but her letter had been so full of love and thoughtfulness_ , no, he knew she’d talk to him, knew she would let him explain. He knew she’d let him meet his daughter, at least once. Still, he couldn’t help the negativity from nagging spitefully inside of him. 

As he pushed these pessimistic thoughts away, the revolving doors began to turn as a guest stepped out on to the street; he took this as his cue and moved in to them, entering the palatial hotel lobby instantly. He looked around anxiously before his eyes settled on the grand staircase, he’d have to take them to get to her room as he didn’t have a room key, using the elevator was out of the question. 

He noticed a female receptionist watching him with curiosity from behind the desk, so moved swiftly towards the staircase before she could call out and stop him; he rushed up the steps two at a time, adrenaline coursing through his veins and a fire burning deep in his stomach. As he reached the third floor he halted, placing his palms against the wall to pause and come up for air. He’d ran the whole way here, he was functioning on a second wind and adrenaline alone, he’d been drained an hour earlier, but now he felt more alive than ever - still, he was only human and needed to catch his breath before coming face to face with Raquel again. With one last deep breath, he nodded to himself, straightened his shoulders and began the painstakingly slow ascent to the fourth flour; the floor he knew she was currently residing on. 

All of a sudden he was utterly petrified once more, his legs turned to jelly and he knew for certain that he was trembling, sweating; panicking deep down inside. He’d never wanted anything more in his entire life, that much he was sure of. But now the time to see her again, to talk to her and be alone with her was here - _well_ , he was scared shitless.

He moved slowly down the dimly lit corridor, glancing at each number until finally he reached it, _room 412_.

This was it. 

For a long moment he simply stood there, staring at the number engraved on the door, frozen to the spot. His body was rigid, he’d forgotten how to move, he was rendered powerless at the very thought of knocking on her door; but he knew he couldn’t back out now and before he’d had time to think twice, he’d raised his knuckles and gently knocked three times, enough to let her know someone was outside. At first there was no sound and he wondered if he had the wrong room, but as he turned to walk away he heard it, the slight muffled rustling coming from behind the door, the gentle footfall of someone approaching, _of her approaching him_.

The door opened slowly and she peered out, her angelic face illuminated perfectly by the soft light behind her, framing her whole body in a warm glow; she looked absolutely breathtaking, she was a vision. 

“Alicia, I told you-“, Raquel started, but her words were lost as she looked up and saw Sergio staring back, fear and love etched all over his face, quite the concoction of emotions. 

Silence filled the air for seconds, minutes, neither of them were sure, until finally he broke the tension and whispered: 

“Can I come in?”

She eyed him suspiciously, why was he here now? He’d made it clear how he felt, she knew he was hurt and shocked, but he’d walked away, _again_. What did he want from her now?

“Why?”, came her breathless reply, she could hear her voice getting lost within and knew he’d noticed too. He’d always had the ability to render her speechless at the drop of a hat.

Sergio smiled softly at her, the caress of a suppressed grin gracing his face, “because, I’d really like to talk to you - if you’ll let me... that is.”

She continued to eye him up, unsure of his intentions, but he’d made the effort to come here, made the effort to find her. Maybe he wanted to discuss their daughter, maybe he simply wanted to make amends with her for the sake of their child, and she couldn’t deprive him of that - couldn’t deprive Paula of that. Her baby was the most important thing here, so with that final thought she moved backwards, opening the door wide enough for him to step inside. 

The room was bathed in almost darkness, the warm glow of the lamp in the corner the only light, but they both felt comforted by the fact that the room wasn’t brightly illuminated, the dark felt like a security blanket, a security blanket that they both still needed. Sergio walked towards the desk positioned at the far end of the room, he didn’t think it appropriate to move towards her bed, he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable; but as he turned around to face her once more, he could see the obvious discomfort written all over her face anyway. 

Raquel pulled at the hem of her chemise under his watchful eye, she hadn’t been expecting company so had changed in to the white night gown that clung to her every curve and barely covered her, the length hardly reaching the middle of her thighs. She suddenly felt self conscious, he hadn’t seen her dressed like this in years and she wasn’t sure she could have this conversation with him wearing next to nothing. The fabric was so sheer it was almost transparent, she knew he would be able to see straight through it if she was to step in to the light, he’d be able to see the outline of her figure, the swell of her breasts - _if he wanted to_. She folded her arms over her chest, shielding herself slightly and covering her assets; as she did so she smiled to herself as she caught him avert his gaze, avoiding looking at her near naked body, _ever the gentleman_ when he wanted to be. 

“So - I guess we should talk then... about Paula”, she started, while reaching for her dressing gown that hung next to her in the half open wardrobe. She wrapped it around her, tying the belt in to a knot. She felt more confident now she was covered properly, she felt back in control of the situation ahead of her.

He tilted his head, shrugging before shyly smiling at her again. 

“Please. I’d like to hear all about her, so much.”

Butterflies flitted through her entire body, filling her up and spilling out of her every pore. To see him smile at the mention of her baby girl, _their baby girl_ , to be asking questions about her after all these years; it filled her with utter bliss and contentment at. She knew they needed to talk about their own situation and what had happened earlier, but talking about Paula was steady ground, it was a territory she knew she could navigate without crumbling in front of him. No, whatever _they_ were could wait, she didn’t have the strength to handle that conversation just yet. 

“Well”, she started, moving towards the bed and sitting on the edge of it, never taking her eyes off of his face, wanting to watch his every expression. “She’s three like I said, she’s a little madam at times, but she’s absolutely perfect... the best thing ever.”

He chuckled, tucking his hands in to his trouser pockets. He felt so awkward standing there, watching Raquel sitting on the bed in front of him, telling him all about their darling little girl. He felt like he was having an out of body experience, living in a dream that he never wanted to wake up from. To have her here before him, talking to him so willingly, sharing the most precious thing in her life with him, _well,_ he thought she was the most incredible woman in the entire world. 

“She loves bananas, hates apples”, she continued on, scrunching her nose as she told him of Paula’s fussy eating habits. “She absolutely hates vegetables, that’s my latest battle... but she loves carrots. I haven’t admitted to her that they are vegetables, she isn’t quite smart enough to figure that much out just yet.” She laughed loudly, throwing her head back and he could see the joy radiating from her as she spoke of her baby. 

“Would you like to see some photos?”, she voiced willingly, keen to share any crumb of information with him regarding the little girl. The fact she was being so open to him, allowing him to know anything he wanted; he was utterly lost for words.

He nodded eagerly as she reached towards the bedside table to pick up her phone. She flicked through it for several seconds before turning it towards him to show him a photo of Paula, sat on the beach, smiling widely for the camera as the remnants of ice cream were smeared all over her face, a soggy looking waffle cone in her left hand; she looked so very happy, so excited to be with the person behind the camera, the person he could only presume to be Raquel. The thought of the two of them together, _his girls_ , it made him swell with pride.

“This was taken last week actually, I took her to the beach one day after work, just the two of us - as you can see she’s a _very_ messy eater!”

He stared in awe, his glassy eyes blinking back tears, before she turned the phone back around and swiped to another photo which made his heart beat even faster and his breath catch in his throat. It was the image of pure, undying love - Raquel and Paula snuggled up together in a rocking chair; the babe clinging to her mama as they both smiled shyly at the camera, eyes half lidded with sleep. He guessed this was their bedtime routine and someone had snuck in to capture the moment; and as he gazed at the photo before him, he couldn’t be more thankful that they had, whoever they were.

“This was taken when she was just ten months old, back at my mama's before I got my own apartment. Although, not much has changed, this is still our little ritual every evening... a cuddle and sharing secret whispers in our rocking chair, just me, Paula and bunny.”

“Bunny?”, he wondered out loud, shifting his gaze from the phone to look in to Raquel’s eyes. 

“Yes, bunny... Paula’s very best friend. See in the photo, tucked between us? Wherever Paula goes, bunny goes. I bought him for her when she was just a newborn, from this gorgeous little baby boutique back in Barcelona... best thing I ever bought her, she’s obsessed with bunny - god forbid if we ever lost him.”

Sergio looked back at the photo once more and sure enough there was bunny, positioned snugly in between Paula and Raquel; the baby’s chubby fist clutching tightly at the stuffed animals ear seemingly never willing to break contact, even when sleep was imminent. He felt such a rush of love coursing through every fibre of him that he thought he might burst, as he looked away from the phone to catch Raquel’s eye once more, she gave him such a sweet smile, a smile full of devotion that it took his breath away. 

“What’s she like?” he dared to whisper, he didn’t want to interrupt her, but he couldn’t keep the question inside of him any longer. 

“She’s trouble. She has my mama and sister wrapped around her little finger, but she knows I’m on to her, I’m not as easy as them”, she grinned. “But most of the time I can’t help myself, I give in to her and let her have what she wants - she’s too cute to say no to. She’ll be naughty at times, like yesterday for example when I was packing to come here, I left the room for _two_ minutes and before I knew it she’d emptied my make up bag and smeared red lipstick all over my bed. I told her off and put her on the naughty chair, but ten minutes later she crept back in to the room - flinging herself around my neck, cuddling in tight and whispering that she loved me so much... after that I couldn’t bring myself to be angry anymore, so we went out to the park instead.” A smile danced across her face as she recalled the most recent memory of her daughter, looking down at her hands that were fiddling with a loose thread on her dressing gown since she’d put the phone back down.

“You’re missing her aren’t you?”, he stated, the obvious sadness at not being with Paula etched on her face.

“More than anything. This is the first night I’ve ever been away from her.”

His eyes widened in surprise, “the first night ever?”

She nodded defiantly, “of course, wherever I go she comes with me. It’s not fair to leave her with my mama all the time, her and my sister have Paula during the day when I’m at work. Plus, why would I want to be away from her? She’s my best friend, we are a package deal - wherever I go, so does she. She’s a well travelled little miss, she’s been all over the world on holidays or with me on work trips.”

“You’ve been on holiday with her? Just you two?”, he asked. He was happy to see that becoming a mother so young - and on her own - hadn’t stopped her from living her life and doing the things that made her happy. 

“Of course we’ve been on holiday Sergio”, she laughed at him, tilting her head towards him affectionately. “She’s been to London with me to visit Alicia, a few times actually... we always have the most fun there. Just a few months ago we went to San Francisco to visit Mónica, Daniel and the kids. The flight wasn’t the most enjoyable, she screamed the entire way there, but that’s all part of the deal when you travel with toddlers”, she chuckled. 

He’d lost contact with Mónica and Daniel since breaking up with Raquel all them years ago, they’d always been more of her friends than his anyway, but he couldn’t help but wonder that if maybe he’d stayed in contact with them, he’d have found out about his daughter sooner. Still, there was no use thinking of that now, what was done was done. As if reading his mind, she interrupted his train of thought, her voice a gentle caress of his senses.

“I swore them to secrecy.”

“Pardon?”

“Món and Daniel. I made them swear to never tell anyone... I can see your brain ticking in to overdrive.”

Sergio swallowed loudly, looking around the room anxiously before she carried on with her explanation. 

“I never spoke to them after Ibiza, didn’t speak to them until about nine months ago actually. Mónica reached out to Alicia on Facebook who gave her my number. I asked if they spoke to you, spoke to any of the old gang and she said no... she told me that her and Daniel ending up moving to San Francisco and settling down there to have a family. She said she hadn’t spoken to anyone in years, but wanted to reach out to me as she knew I’d been alone - in the end I mean. I knew that telling her about Paula wouldn’t be an issue if she didn’t speak to any of you anymore, I knew I could share that secret with the knowledge that it wouldn’t get back to anyone. Not that I’d ever intended for her to be a secret - I did write to you after all.”

He nodded silently, he understood completely. 

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, I get it, I’m glad you had them to be honest. I’m glad they’ve been there for you.”

“Well, they have been for the past nine months or so yes, until then - I was completely alone. No one ever reached out to me to see if I was okay, I only ever had Alicia.”

“And Paula”, he reminded her with a shy smile, nudging his glasses up his nose. _God he was so nervous_.

She smiled broadly, showing her teeth to him, a smile that never failed to make him weak at the knees and melt his heart.

“And Paula. Alicia, Paula, my sister and my mother - the only girl gang I’ve ever needed. I’ve done just fine - I think I have anyway... I’m very lucky to have them.”

He nodded again, but couldn’t bring himself to smile this time. They’d small talked and she’d shared stories of their daughter, but now he needed to talk to her about other things, he needed to tell her his very own truths. 

“Raquel - I...”, he started, but nothing else came out. He lost all train of thought as he watched her, looking up at him patiently, eyes glued to his.

“Sergio...” she teased, with a glint in her eyes and the start of a mischievous smile on her lips.

She always knew how to lighten the mood and lift the tension, he was thankful for her in that moment. He was scared and nervous and still shaking slightly, but she made him feel more at ease; even after all these years she tried her hardest to make him feel comfortable with his words, more sure of himself. 

“About... well - the letter”, he stammered out. 

“Ah, the infamous letter, you got it and ignored it... or you never got it... which one was it?”

“I got it”, he answered quietly and he caught the glimmer of sorrow that flashed across her face. He saw the hurt in her eyes as he realised she must have thought he'd received it all them years ago but chose to ignore it. She broke eye contact to look down at her hands again; he took two quick strides towards her, coming much closer than he’d dared to since entering her room. 

“No, no - _no_. I - I only got it - the letter - I only received it, tonight”, he managed to get out in a rushed sentence.

She raised her head suddenly, brows furrowing as she looked at him, her eyes darting back and forward between his. She didn’t understand. 

“What do you mean? You only received it tonight?”

He nodded, eyes filling up as he looked at her. This unbelievable woman who’d written such beautiful words to him all those years ago, words that he’d only been able to read tonight. He dared to move even closer, timidly approaching her as she sat on the side of the bed, their eyes never breaking contact - not once. He was holding his breath in anticipation, and as he closed in and lowered himself on to the bed to sit next to her, he realised she too was holding hers, frozen to the spot entirely; except for her eyes that followed him and his every move with wonder and curiosity. 

“Andrés gave it to me tonight... turns out Silene took it and I never managed to get it back - _or even know about it_ \- until tonight.”

She scoffed indignantly and he could see the anger within her bubbling to the surface. He reached out to lay his hand on hers as it rested in the space between them on the bed, the merest touch sparking magnetic electricity within them both once more, just as it always did - just as it always would. 

“It doesn’t matter now Raquel, because I read it... and I read it again - and again. It was perfect, it was everything I wanted to hear from you all them years ago, but assumed you didn’t feel as I didn’t hear anything from you. It’s exactly how I felt about you too.”

She lowered her gaze, looking down at their hands, watching as his thumb grazed lazily over the back of her hand, up and down, back and forth. She turned her hand over so her palm faced upwards, intertwining their fingers and squeezing tightly. As she looked up at him she couldn’t help the tears that spilled over and flowed down her cheeks. He delicately reached up with his free hand, wiping them away with his thumb, so gently; his touch as soft as a feathers caress.

“It’s exactly how I _feel_ Raquel”, he corrected himself. “Always have and always will.”

She smiled, breaking in to a laugh as she soaked in his words. _God she loved this man_.

She wanted to kiss him, she knew he wanted to kiss her too, but she was nervous, she wasn’t sure if they could ever go back to what they were. So much had happened over the years, maybe it would be best to just be co-parents to their daughter, raise her together, amicably as friends - _not_ as lovers. She couldn’t put Paula through another breakup, but more than that, she didn’t think she had it in herself to _survive_ another breakup. But who was to say that this would end in heartbreak? This could be the second chance they deserved, a chance for them to be a real family; another chance at love for the both of them. So why couldn’t she stop the nagging in her mind that this probably wasn’t the best idea... why was she hesitating? Sergio was here, telling her he still wanted her, telling her he wanted Paula, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this just wouldn’t work.

Raquel turned away quickly, breaking the enchanting spell between them, gently tugging her hand from his and placing it in her lap. She couldn’t hold him and make this decision, she couldn’t think clearly when his touch was so inviting, when he was so close that she could almost taste him. If this was such a bad idea then why did she so desperately want to be with him, to kiss him and have him hold her and make love to her all night long? Why did she feel the all too familiar pull in her abdomen every time he was around her, every time he looked at her like this?

“Raquel... look at me please”, he requested, sounding more confident than he felt. He’d seen the resistance in her eyes, could see the uncertainty all over her face, the doubt prominent in her body language. He’d felt so sure five minutes ago that she wanted him, that they could make this work; but now, looking at her posture and the way in which she was holding herself, he knew she was having real doubts.

“I don’t think I can... I don’t think this is a good idea again”, she finally said, gesturing between them. “We can’t simply forget all that has happened, how do we just pick back up? There’s a child involved now Sergio, I could never, _ever_ put her through what I went through.”

He stared at her, afraid to move, afraid to speak, she was fragile and he didn’t want to break her, so he waited patiently for her continue. He so desperately wanted to reach out and take her hands, but he refrained from doing so, clutching them together in his lap to control the temptation. 

“Losing you once Sergio, it was bad enough, but if that was to happen again?”, her voice broke as she aired her concerns, the cracking signalling she was on the verge of breaking down any second. “I couldn’t do that to Paula. When I think how broken I was once you left me... that’s not something I’m prepared to ever put my baby girl through - not now, not ever.”

He understood her concerns, she was a terrific mother, putting the needs of Paula before her own, but he needed to assure her that this wouldn’t end in heartbreak; he would never let her go again, he’d never lose either of them until the last breath left his body.

“But Raquel, you’re not going to lose me, do you not understand? I’m here, I want you - I never want to be without you. Not ever”, he murmured, he too felt like his dam would burst any second at the thought of losing her again. 

“You want to protect Paula, I respect that - but what about you? Do you not deserve to get what you want and be happy... all because you think this will end badly? Besides, why you do think this will end in heartbreak? This is it Raquel - you, me and Paula. That’s what I want, if you’ll both have me that is”, he finished quietly, looking down at the carpeted floor, terrified of her reply, _terrified of her rejection_. 

“I’m scared”, she finally whispered. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You’re not going to lose me Raquel - I’m here. I’m staying, for as long as you’ll have me”, he said, reaching out a careful hand to brush a loose lock of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers stroke slowly across her cheek before cupping her face. For a long while he simply held her close and allowed their foreheads to rest together, taking strength and courage from each other. 

Eventually she looked up at him, eyes hazy - full of love and emotion. Without thinking, she kissed him, she leaned forward and gently placed her lips against his, a kiss so soft and gentle. She could feel herself melting in to the kiss and just as she was about to deepen it he pulled back, looking at her with surprise for a moment or two. He watched her expression, before quickly moving his hands from her face to wrap them around her waist, revelling in the feeling that he was _finally_ holding her again, treasuring the utter satisfaction of having her gentle lips pressed to his. Everything else around them vanished and all he could focus on was the fact that he had her in his arms, the fact that she was finally allowing him to touch her once more. 

Within seconds the kiss became more heated, more passionate, they were both hungry for the taste of each other; she threw her arms around his neck, tugging at his hair, kissing him more deeply than she had all night. She moved her hands down to his chest, gripping at the fabric of the crisp white shirt he wore, clinging on for dear life as if anchoring herself to this very moment, never wanting it to end. She felt his tongue sweep across her lips again, before it brushed more confidently against her own, sending a shiver of desire down her spine; her entire body felt alive to his every touch, tingling with anticipation and excitement. 

They were completely wrapped up in each other, absorbed in kiss after kiss and caress after caress, the entire world slipping away from under them; nothing else mattered right now other than the two of them and this precious moment. They’d spent the past four years apart, pretending they were doing just fine, but now that they were reunited and exploring each other once again, they realised they had never really been okay; they were two halves of the same soul and they were finally becoming one once more. 

For a long time they kissed, simply enjoying the feeling of each other, the sheer joy of their tongues dancing together in that familiar way, teeth nipping at lips, teasing then soothing, conveying all their passion for one another through their mouths alone. 

When the need for air became apparent they stopped, but not before a final kiss of a promise of more to come. They rested their foreheads together, holding on to one another, knees touching, arms clutching; never wanting to be apart, not for a single moment. He stroked her hair, gently tangling his hand in to her golden locks, she closed her eyes, leaning in to his touch as she raised her hand to gingerly touch his cheek, letting her fingers brush against his beard that she loved so much.

Raquel broke the silence first, needing to ask him an important question.

“What are you doing tomorrow evening?”

He pulled back, blinking at her, “nothing - not that I have planned anyway... why?”

She grinned at him broadly, unable to contain her glee. “Would you like to fly back with me to Barcelona?... Would you like to come and meet your daughter?”

He broke in to a chuckle, losing himself in the softness of her eyes. He felt delirious with happiness, overwhelmed with gratitude for this remarkable woman that it threatened to break him down once more. She wanted him as much as he wanted her and finally she was inviting him back to Barcelona, to be a part of her family. He bought her closer to his body, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips, a kiss he hoped would tell her how much this moment meant to him. How much _she_ meant to him. 

“I’d love to Raquel. There’s nothing more I want right now than to come home with you and meet our little girl.”

She laughed freely, pulling him back in for another kiss, breathless and heady with desire. They fell backwards on to the bed, their hands roaming all over as he kissed her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, as she laughed and laughed, revelling in this moment of sheer bliss. Words were lost as they sunk in to kiss after kiss, every caress another that they would both treasure forever. Twelve hours ago they never thought they’d cross paths again, but now as they lay together in the almost darkness, clinging to each other as if it were their last night on earth, the time they’d spent apart made no difference. The past four years meant nothing, as long as the rest of their lives were to be spent together. They both knew that from this moment on all of their tomorrows belonged to each other. All of their days would be dedicated to their love and to their beautiful little family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! Please let me know what you think below..
> 
> The next chapter will get a bit more.. heated.. ahem. We will pick up right where this chapter ends.


	6. Bedtime Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio and Raquel continue to let each other back in to their lives. Will they be able to keep moving forward?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, time seemed to get away from me and I struggled to find time to sit and actually focus on writing.  
> I’m posting today as I feel we maybe all need a little pick me up. I’ve seen on instagram that they’ve confirmed part 5 will be the final season and truly I’m feeling devastated and it’s really made me sad. This show and this amazing fandom have been so important to me, especially in the last 6 months or so. I hope we can continue to share amazing stories with each other. This platform and fandom truly are the greatest and make me feel so happy and fluffy inside. Sorry, I might be sounding a bit silly but I’m a bit lost for words at the moment. I thought the show had another 2 or 3 seasons left in it, but here’s hoping it will be as amazing as all the others and a happy ending for Serquel!

The entire world fell away from around him and everything felt perfectly right as he kissed her and kissed her and kissed her, full of passion and unbridled desire; he wondered how he’d spent so long without her, _without this_. He couldn’t get his head around the fact that he was really with her again, kissing her so fiercely, hands roaming, tongues tasting - he never wanted the night to end, he wished to live in this very moment for the rest of his existence. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as they kissed hungrily, nipping at each others lips, tongues exploring and teasing, before coming back together to kiss so very deeply and repeat the pattern all over again; _this was what heaven must be like_ , he thought to himself.

Sergio couldn’t keep his hands still for a single moment. One hand became tangled deep within her hair, the other low on her back, centimetres away from the curve of her ass. He so desperately wanted to stroke her there, to feel the gentle curves of her lower body, but he kept a firm hold over himself; he wanted her to set the pace tonight, he wanted her to be comfortable with him in every possible way. Suddenly he felt her grind her hips tantalisingly in to his groin, taking his breath away, and when she bit playfully at his lip before sucking on his tongue and letting out a low moan, he lost all remaining restraint and pulled her tighter against every inch of him. The overwhelming desire he had for her coming to the forefront of his mind in an instant, restraint be damned. 

Raquel couldn’t believe how desperately she wanted him, her hands churning in his hair and nails raking against the back of his neck, sending involuntary shivers through the both of them, electricity coursing through their veins. Her fingers were trembling as she clung to him, she so badly wanted to strip him of his clothes and ride him hard on the bed but he was being _so gentle_ , exploring her body slowly, not venturing any lower than her hips, maybe he wasn’t ready to have sex with her just yet, maybe they still needed time to get to know each other again. She wasn’t sure if she had it in her to wait, but she would do whatever it took to have him completely, and if waiting a few days was what he needed, was what _they_ needed, then she sure as hell would wait for him. However, the very thought of it was excruciating, she’d had _many_ dreams about him over the years, _extremely_ explicit dreams that had usually woken her up in the middle of the night, gasping and wildly frustrated - so to have him _here, now_ in bed with her, well the thought of taking it slow was making her soul ache and body pulse maddeningly for him. _God, she wanted him so fucking much._

“Sergio...”, she panted against his mouth, lips still touching, refusing to break contact with him entirely. 

He pulled back slightly to look at her, noticing that her eyes had darkened and were full of lust, lips swollen and red, parted softly as she gasped for breath.

“Sergio, I’ve been dreaming of this moment for years now, and while I’m so grateful to you for being so gentle and sweet... I _so_ desperately need you to fuck me that I don’t think I can cope for another second.”

He grinned widely, before letting out a low chuckle as he felt himself stir against her hip at her words, blushing slightly at the explicit way she described her urge for him. _Thank god_ , he thought to himself. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her and he didn’t have to wait another moment to take her at last. 

She flashed him a wicked look as she sat upright, pulling him in to a sitting position along with her. She leaned in and pressed a soft, tender kiss against his lips as she pushed his jacket off his shoulders and dropped it gently on to the floor. With trembling hands she unbuttoned his shirt, her lips never leaving his, not for a single second. As soon as the last button of his shirt was undone, he shrugged out of it and sighed as her fingers began caressing his shoulders and her nails slowly scratched all over his chest and stomach, igniting the fire within him to blaze fully once more. He groaned as her nails dug in to his skin and he kissed her even more deeply; he was hungry for her and full to the brim with every ounce of his passion that had been bottled up for years. Before he had chance to realise, she’d managed to get him out of his pants and underwear and pushed him back down among the pillows. She kissed every inch of him that she could reach, her lips journeying from his throat, to his chest, venturing lower to his stomach, before she used her tongue to lick all the way back up his body, nipping at the hollow of his throat with her teeth, then using her tongue to soothe the area of skin immediately. He groaned at the sensation of her mouth against him, she was driving him wild, but it was _utter_ bliss, she was a goddess, unbelievably sexy - and she wanted him, and _god_ , he was going to enjoy every single moment of her undivided attention.

He quickly removed his glasses and placed them on the bedside table, then he reached out with itching hands to remove her dressing gown - he wanted to hold her completely naked in his arms, the need for it was suddenly _too much_. As he pulled the belt loose and opened the gown, she begrudgingly lifted her lips from his skin and looked deep in to his eyes, shrugging out of it before pulling the white chemise over her head in one swift move; baring her soul to him as he bared her body from the only piece of clothing left between them. His eyes wandered longingly down her body, which was softly illuminated by the warm glow of the lamp beside them; every inch of her freshly exposed body was perfect to him in every possible way. His touch was as light as a feather as he ran his fingers over the gentle swell of her curves before grasping her by the hips and pulling her astride him. She smiled lovingly down at him as he tenderly tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear; he wondered silently if she would always render him this speechless with her charisma and beauty, both inside and out. 

He moved his hand down to where she wanted him the most, delicately brushing one, then two fingers against her, the softest caress he could manage, her eyes closing in response and a breathless ‘oh’ leaving her lips at his touch. He studied her face intently, gauging her reaction, pleased to find that her response to his touch was the same as it had been all them years ago. He gulped as he felt how wet she was, his mouth parting with desire as her essence coated his fingers. _Fuck, she was so hot_. 

“Are you ready?”, he murmured. Even though he knew the answer, it was exhilarating to hear her say it.

“Yes. God yes, I’m always ready for you”, she whispered in return, her eyes darkening with desire as she stared dreamily down at him. 

Bending low to kiss him languidly, she lifted her hips and guided him inside of her. She sank slowly down until he filled her completely, for a second they both stopped breathing, staring deep in to each other’s eyes - in to each other’s souls; savouring, just for a few moments the exquisite feeling of their togetherness and finally being one after all these years apart. 

Once she’d adjusted to the feeling of him filling her up so fully, she sat back, bracing her hands on his chest and began riding him and taking him as deep as she could, moaning on each exhale. He grabbed her hips, his fingers gripping so firmly he knew there would be an imprint, but he couldn’t help it, she felt _incredible_ , and he had to try his absolute hardest to not come immediately. Holding on tightly he guided her, moving her _just so_ , the feeling of her around him making a low, hoarse groan escape his throat. He bucked faster, showing her exactly how much he wanted this, how much they both _needed_ this. She grabbed one of his hands, moving it from her hip to put it against the most sensitive spot between her legs, he needed no further encouragement and applied pressure with his thumb, drawing small, perfect circles. The effect on her was not lost and she threw her head back, letting out a strangled cry, clenching involuntarily around him, the feeling of which made him hiss in absolute pleasure. _Fuck_ , she felt amazing. 

“Don’t stop. I swear to god. _Do. Not. Stop_ ,” she breathed out, her voice shaky with desire. 

He beamed up at her, delighted that it was him making her feel like this, _he_ was the one who was making her feel _this_ good. In that moment he decided that it would only be him for the rest of his life, he was determined. 

He sat upright, taking her even deeper than either of them thought possible, one hand tangled in her hair, the other still between them, rubbing exquisite little circles that were about to send her in to oblivion. The tension within her was building rapidly, faster than she had ever remembered, and so she had to rest her forehead against his shoulder, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Stars were flickering in the corners of her vision as she rode him harder and harder, faster and faster until her breath came in short gasps and she knew her orgasm was imminent. She pulled back to meet his gaze and the way he was looking at her, his eyes full of so much love and devotion for her - _well_ , it was all she needed to rip apart at the seams and come undone around him, convulsing beyond her control. Seeing her trembling in his arms while looking deep in to her eyes was all he needed to find his own release, shuddering and crying out as the feeling washed over him for a few perfect moments. 

They fell back in to the pillows, still wrapped in one another’s embrace, unwilling to detangle their limbs just yet. They were slick with sweat and panting loudly, but neither of them wanted to break the moment or the rediscovered intimate bond between them. So they stayed as they were, perfectly at peace in each other’s arms for several long minutes, fingers stroking and lips brushing against soft skin. 

“Fuck, Raquel”, he managed to say eventually, his voice strained. “That was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. That was _so much better_ than I ever remember it being.”

She laughed in to his chest before rolling to the side, tucking herself snuggly in to him and laying contentedly. 

“Better than you remember? Charming!”

“N-no, _no_. No...”, he protested. “That came out wrong... I just mean - that was better than any of the dreams I had about you, _about us_ , over the years. That was amazing.”

“You’ve had lots of dreams about us have you? Do tell me more...” she replied smugly, turning her head to look up at him. 

“So many dreams, Raquel. You have no idea”, he turned on to his side, repositioning himself so that he could look at her face and stare in to her beautiful eyes that he’d missed so much.

“I dreamt of you too... of this. A lot”, she whispered in reply, smiling shyly up at him. She’d dreamt of him regularly over the years, not always in an explicit way; more often than not he would appear in her dreams as she played in the nursery with Paula. He would stroll in to the room and the little girl would launch herself in to his arms and the three of them would go to the kitchen and have dinner as a family. When Raquel woke up, alone and cold in her bed, the tears would come and she would feel the pain and heartbreak all over again. 

He noticed the faraway look in her eyes and recognised that she was obviously reminiscing about a more difficult dream. It pained him to see such conflict and sorrow flicker in her eyes, so he wrapped his arms more tightly around her waist. Pulling her even closer to him, he gently kissed the tip of her nose; reminding her that he was here, with her, she wasn’t alone and without him anymore, if she closed her eyes and went to sleep he would still be here when she woke up in the morning. He never wanted to leave her side again. 

“Sergio, can I ask you something?”

He kissed her soundly, the merest brush of his lips against hers before answering. 

“Of course, you can ask me anything, you know that.”

“I’m afraid it’s a bit personal, are you quite sure?”

“Try me”, he sighed, smiling widely at her. 

“Did you ever truly move on from me? Were there others?... Other relationships in the four years we were apart?”

He moved his hand to stroke her shoulder, his fingers gently tickling the soft skin there. He wondered if she realised just how much she meant to him, if she knew the effect she had on him, just the merest look in his direction or delicate caress of her fingers was enough to drive him absolutely wild, still to this day. How could he explain to her that in the four years they had been apart, he’d thought about her every single morning and every single night; she was always the first thing he thought of and the last thing on his mind before he went to sleep. There had been no other relationships in the time they had been apart, he’d not been interested in any other women and he firmly believed he would have remained that way for the rest of his life. She was _everything_ , and when he lost her there was no moving on from her, for how do you move on from someone who had been everything to you? She had been his very heart the entire time they were together, so when she left, his heart left along with her, and there is no living without one’s heart. There is no moving on from someone when without them you become half a person - a broken soul.

“No”, he murmured softly, he didn’t need to explain to her, he hoped the moment they had just shared and the way he was holding her and looking intently in to her eyes would be enough to convey his feelings. Of course he’d never moved on from her, he never would have either. 

“Really?”

He nodded resolutely, looking away to hide his embarrassment. Would she think him silly for not being with anyone else since they’d broken up?

Her eyes widened in surprise, Sergio was beyond handsome and she had witnessed first hand during their time together the effect he had on other women. She found it hard to believe that no one had tried to be with him in four years. “You never slept with anyone else? Were you waiting for me, or just not willing to move on from us?”

He pulled her close and nuzzled the side of her neck, unable to look at her as he conveyed the reasoning behind his actions, or lack of in this case. “I was pining for you, Raquel, I didn’t want to be with anyone else. If I couldn’t be with you then I didn’t want to be with anyone... and since we were no longer together, the answer was simple, I’d remain alone... forever. Andrés forcefully set me up on a blind date about a year ago and it was an absolute disaster, I felt bad for the girl, but it just wasn’t something I wanted. Other than her, there has been no one else, no dates, no flirting, no sex. I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

“Why was it a disaster?” she whispered, stroking the hair at the nape of his neck. She could feel herself on the verge of tears at his confession, _he’d not been with anyone else since her_.

He raised his head from where it was hidden against her to look in to her eyes once more, licking his lips as he took in her beautifully soft features, both of their expressions sincere and heartfelt. 

“Because she wasn’t you, Raquel”, he replied honestly, leaning in to kiss her tenderly on the lips. For a few moments they lost themselves in kiss after kiss, completely wrapped up in each other and the sensation of tongues and hands exploring all over again. 

She finally pulled away from him, lips swollen, feeling breathless with desire. She laughed softly as she felt herself blush slightly from his admission and the intensity of his gaze. 

She smiled at him, understanding exactly what he meant. She’d been on a few dates over the years, but no one ever came close to how it had been with Sergio. No matter how hard she tried to shut him out of her mind, she always found herself comparing new men to _him_. It infuriated her more than anything - especially since she thought he had moved on with Silene; the fact that she thought he was in a new relationship and she still couldn’t get him out of her mind drove her fucking insane. It was the main reason she’d been determined to start dating again. 

He kissed her again before daring to ask the same question in return. She was stunning and men had always fallen at her feet, he knew what the answer was going to be and he dreaded hearing the words escape her mouth, but he needed to know. It was all in the past and they hadn’t been together anymore, she was at perfect liberty to do what, _or who_ , she wanted. 

“Have you had relationships?”

She ran her fingers up his neck and through the coarse hair of his beard, steeling herself to answer his question honestly. 

“Well, there haven’t been relationships as such... but yes, I have been with other men since you, of course I have. But had I known you hadn't received my letter and were pining for me on the other side of the world, I can assure you I never would have been with anyone else... I would have come for you. But as far as I knew, you'd moved on from me, so I tried to do the same.”

He glanced downwards, breaking eye contact. He had no right to be angry and he certainly wasn’t angry with her, but knowing there had been other men and that they’d held her in their arms. _Well_ , he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t raging with jealousy. 

She noticed his mood shift in to something colder and ran her fingers down his arm to lift up one of his hands. She pressed a delicate kiss to his wrist, then to his palm, then to each of his fingers, before settling their intertwined hands between them, squeezing gently to try and bring him back to her.

“Hey”, she broke the silence, forcing him to lift his gaze and look back in to her eyes once more. “They were nothing compared to this, _to us_. Sergio, this is the best I’ve ever had, it’s the best I will ever have. We have intimacy, we have passion, we have so much history. But, more importantly, we connect, on such a deep level... nothing could ever possibly compare to this. We have a child together for god sake, no one can ever compete with that. The men I’ve been with since you were just a way to fill this empty void inside of me, for a little while at least. After a couple of dates with each of them I realised they weren’t what I wanted or needed and I moved on with my life.”

He nodded in understanding. They hadn’t meant anything to her, nothing compared to what they had; thinking of it like that made him feel infinitely better.

“Sergio, I don’t like to admit this... but those guys, they were just sex. That wasn’t the reason I dated them of course, but I knew from the first date that they were never going to replace you or be able to complete my life. But they were always nice enough and after a couple of dates, one thing always led to another. It took me two and a half years to even consider going on a date, my life revolved - _revolves_ around my daughter. I didn’t want a man in my life, I just wanted it to be me and Paula. Every single day I thought of you. But those men?... They were an easy way for me to feel good, even just for a short while.”

He didn’t say anything, he didn’t know what to say to that. He’d left her with an empty void and it broke his heart all over again to hear her admit that to him. He’d felt exactly the same too, of course. 

“You’re judging me aren’t you?” she whispered cautiously, knowing he must have thought less of her now. 

He shook his head adamantly, “of course not, Raquel. I could never think any less of you.”

“It doesn’t bother you to hear me talk about flings so nonchalantly? To admit that I went on dates with guys to simply have sex and _get my kicks_?”

He swallowed nervously, looking anywhere but into her eyes. He’d never thought of sex like _that_ once Raquel had left, after they’d broken up he’d sworn to be celibate for the rest of his life. He understood men had needs and urges, but losing Raquel was like closing a door on his primal desires. He’d only ever desired her and in the years they’d been apart he’d never had an urge to sleep with anybody else, not even to fill an empty void or release the tension within him. 

“I mean, it bothers me to imagine you in another mans arms and them touching you and making you come undone like I can, of course... I hate the thought of that. But I understand that you had needs and just _needed_ to sleep with someone, women have desires too, Raquel. I didn’t have that urge once you left, I dealt with it on my own... but I understand what you’re saying and you don’t have to explain yourself to me, I don’t judge you at all.”

She stared at him intently, taking in his words, believing that he truly didn’t think any less of her. 

“So many people would judge me for admitting that. We live in a world where men are encouraged to go out and sleep with whoever they want and are patted on the back for it... but women? They are sluts or whores if they suggest that they are dating someone to just have sex”, she said. “It’s infuriating.”

He instinctively tried to push his glasses up his nose, before remembering that he’d taken them off a while ago. He let out a long breath before turning his full attention to her, waiting for her to continue. 

“I’m going to be honest with you now, Sergio, but I want you to know I don’t blame you or anything, it may sound like I do but truly I don’t... okay?”

He nodded. “Please, always be honest.”

She looked at him thoughtfully, giving her words some careful thought. “Do you know how difficult it is to be a young, single mother with a full time career? Let me tell you... it’s hard work. I have my mama and my sister of course, but since day one I’ve been determined to stand on my own two feet, to show Paula how strong I am and that the two of us don’t need to rely on anyone else. We’ve been the best team since the day she was born. We have our own apartment, we go on holidays and we make the best memories together. We laugh and we love, but, some days are just so tough I can’t even begin to tell you.”

He nodded, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, encouraging her to carry on with her confession. 

“Some days she cries and she cries and nothing I do can comfort her. She screams and she won’t eat and she forces me to tears, so we spend the entire day sat indoors because neither of us can stop crying. She won’t let me cuddle her or soothe her and those days are the fucking worst. Those are the days I feel so broken and alone, totally defeated. But the days where we laugh all day and have the most fun are just pure magic, I treasure those days. But as good as those days are, eventually it comes to her bedtime, and then I’m alone all over again, it’s just me sat in a dark apartment, all by myself with no one to talk to or laugh with or cuddle.”

A lone tear escaped her eye and made its way slowly down her cheek, he reached out to gently wipe it away with his thumb, still remaining silent. 

“I think of you every single day Sergio, on the good days and the bad. The day Paula took her first steps I thought of you and wished you were with us to see, the first time she cried and pushed me away I wished you were there to help me and comfort me while I sobbed. I think of you on the nights when I go to bed alone, afraid that it’s been yet another day of me being a terrible mother.”

He looked at her passionately, his eyes filling at the devastating truth to her words. How he wished he’d been there for her, he loved her _so_ fucking much. 

“I spent two and a half years focused on my daughter and not truly living my life for me. A part of me was determined you’d come back for us, so I think I was waiting... but the other part of me just didn’t want to let another man in, not ever. There wasn’t just me to think of, there was Paula too, and I wasn’t willing to let just anyone in to ours lives and become her father figure.”

He considered her words for a moment, his eyes serious. The thought of another man raising his daughter with the love of his life made him feel sick. “What changed? What made you start dating?”

She grimaced, before laughing softly and rolling her eyes. “My sister forced me. But I suppose eventually, I began to enjoy it. After two and a half years of being solely focused on my baby and my job, Laura decided that I needed to go on a date, if not for a boyfriend then to have sex. I forcefully said no, that was not what I needed or wanted. But when this guy in my building, Michael he was called, asked me if I wanted to go for dinner... I thought fuck it and accepted. We went for dinner twice and both times I kept comparing him to you, I was determined to break it off, but a week later he knocked on my door with a tub of ice cream and a movie and we ended up having sex... and honestly, it was like a weight was lifted, just for a few minutes. At the beginning I thought of you, I imagined it was your lips on mine, but eventually I managed to push the memory of you away and I started to feel good, and then I realised that I wasn’t thinking of _anything_. Not the stress of being a mother, not the heartbreak of losing you... nothing. It filled this void that I didn’t realise needed filling, and I decided that maybe this was what I needed after all. I knew it wasn’t going to be anything serious, but maybe sex with someone I wasn’t attached to every once in a while, was all I needed for the rest of my life, to keep me sane.”

He hesitated before asking softly. “What happened to Michael?”

She squirmed nervously. “He still lives in my building if that’s what you’re asking. But after that night I told him I didn’t want anything serious, he said he was after a girlfriend so we broke it off mutually. He never officially met Paula but whenever I mentioned her he always became uncomfortable. I never wanted him, but if I had, _that_ would have been the deal breaker - she comes first, always. I see him in the building sometimes with his new girlfriend, they seem madly in love which is nice.”

He nodded, his eyes reassuring her that he was by no means judging her actions. “Then what? There have been others I take it?”

She smiled softly. “Sure, two others in fact. About four months after Michael I met Mario. He was nice enough, he had a little boy around Paula’s age, we met at the splash park down town. I’d seen him there a few times and eventually he asked me for coffee. We always took the kids so it was never anything flirtatious, but after three coffee dates he asked me and Paula round to his for dinner and a play date. Long story short we ended up sleeping together and I stayed the night. When I woke up the next morning in his bed and saw Paula in the room next door with his son, it all felt too intimate and I wasn’t after a family, so I freaked out and left. I didn’t want a relationship, I didn’t want anyone. He seemed to understand and we agreed it would be physical only. We ended up sleeping together two more times, but again it was just to forget about everything for a little while... for me anyway. I’d feel good in the moment, but afterwards I’d feel so devastatingly low. I’d go home to my daughter, climb in to bed and cry myself to sleep. It made me ache for you and the intimacy we shared more than ever. I could tell Mario wanted more from me, but I didn't want him... _he wasn't you_ , so I broke it off with him and I’ve never seen him since.” Her voice broke on the final sentence, as if she remembered how much she'd been craving Sergio even though she had another man practically begging her for a chance.

He stroked her cheek. “Raquel, it’s okay, y-you don’t have to carry on. If you’d rather not explain to me I understand. I’m just interested to know what was going through your mind.”

“It’s fine”, she relented. “I don’t want any secrets between us, plus it’s good to finally admit all of this to someone. I’ve never really been honest about it, not even to Alicia.”

“Okay...”, he said slowly, pausing to kiss the back of her hand. “Whenever you’re ready.”

She nodded, blinking away the tears. He was making her feel _so_ loved in this moment and she couldn’t be more thankful for him. She was silent for a long time, finding the courage within to carry on, talking so freely about these fleeting ‘relationships’ was making her understand how deeply she’d obviously been yearning for this the entire time. _She'd always been yearning for Sergio_. 

“More recently there’s been Ángel. He’s a colleague and we went for drinks a couple of times after work. We’ve only had sex once, and he’s more interested in me than I ever was in him. The sex was okay I guess, but he made me feel suffocated immediately afterwards... he’s the only one I regretted sleeping with. I knew he really liked me and I let him take me to bed, even though I didn’t actually like him like that... all so I could get a cheap thrill. He’s the only one that made me feel truly awful and disgusted with myself.”

His eyes widened, her words taking him by surprise. “Why did you feel disgusted with yourself?”

“Because I had come to let myself believe that I didn’t need a relationship and only wanted to have meaningless sex. No one was ever going to replace you or what we had, but sex with these men was just something that made me forget everything and feel physically good for the shortest time. I had no connection with any of them, I didn’t crave them or want them, not like I wanted you, but they filled a part of me that was missing... _a part I’d left with you_. But afterwards, I always felt so dirty and annoyed with myself... then I’d imagine you with Silene, and I’d just break and realise I had no fucking clue what I was doing or what I was feeling. It made me feel like a terrible person and a bad mother. It’s not your fault, none of it is, I just don’t think I was ready to move on, I should have stayed alone like you did. I should have allowed myself to properly heal.”

He shook his head. “You’re not a terrible person or a terrible mother, in fact you sound like a fucking fantastic one. You’ve been there for Paula since the day she was born Raquel, I mean this is the very first night you’ve ever slept away from her. You did what you thought you needed and you lived freely, doing what felt right in the moment and then learning from it. Most of us have no idea what we are doing in life do we? You’ve got a child, a career, your own place... yeah you have difficult days with Paula, but they are outweighed ten times over by the good days. So don’t dwell on the bad times, and certainly don’t beat yourself up about dating men simply to have sex. You thought it was what you needed, and maybe some of the time it was... but you always came home to your baby and you always made sure she was your number one priority. You lived your life Raquel, you have been doing your absolute best. Besides, these men sound like decent human beings, understanding when you broke it off with them.”

She sighed, ignoring the butterflies she felt within after his passionate outburst. “Yes. Well, Ángel hasn’t quite got the message...”

“What do you mean?”

She raised an eyebrow, shuddering. “Well, he keeps hounding me for another date. He keeps saying it was the best night of his life and that he wants a repeat.” 

He looked in to her eyes, intently. “How long ago was your little fling with Ángel?”

She rolled away from him, laying her back flat on the bed, letting go of his hands and breaking all contact. She knew _this confession_ would definitely make him mad.

“About six weeks ago.”

He stared down at her, mouth agape. No wonder the poor man hadn’t got the message. It would still be so fresh for Ángel, of course he would still be madly obsessing over her. She was a force to be reckoned with, it took a lot to ever move on from her, he’d never been able to, so he doubted Ángel would have managed it in the space of six weeks. Sergio knew what he and Raquel had could never be rivalled, but he was starting to worry that this Ángel could prove to be trouble, especially if she was working in the same office as him every day. Sergio had never been a fighter, but now he had her back, he could be sure he would fight for Raquel no matter what.

She turned her head on the pillow, looking in to his eyes. 

“Sergio, what are you thinking?”

He sighed. “I’m thinking that Ángel most definitely is in love with you.”

She laughed, rolling back on to her side to put her arm around him once more. 

“Of course he’s not in love with me, don’t be so silly!”

He looked down at her with a smile. “Raquel, how could he not be in love with you... it’s you”, he whispered.

She smiled softly at him. “You’re very sweet, but I can assure you he isn’t in love with me. Yes, he’s a bit clingy, but we only went out twice and we slept together six weeks ago for goodness sake! He keeps asking me for round two, but I say no every time. He will get the hint eventually... I promise.”

“When did he last ask you to sleep with him again?”

“Wednesday...”, she murmured. 

“Raquel!”

She leaned in and nuzzled his neck, her hand sliding up to grip his shoulder, placing soft kisses below his ear as she tried to distract him. 

He pulled away. “Raquel...”

“Okay! Fine! Maybe he is in love with me. I told you, I regretted sleeping with him as soon as it happened... it wasn’t even that good for god sake. But when I see him next week I’ll tell him firmly no. I’ll tell him it was a mistake and that there’s someone else... I’ll tell him about you.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Trust me, I speak from experience when I say that you aren’t easy to get over or forget... I could never do it. I imagine Ángel is thinking he’s had the best sex of his life with an amazing woman, and because he works with you every day he has a chance."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Not easy to get over huh?...”

“Impossible”, he whispered with heartbreaking honesty. 

She looked up at him through her lashes, smiling. “You truly don’t judge me? You don’t think I’m a slut?”

He kissed her softly on the lips before answering. “Never. I just wish it could have been me all this time, I wish I'd never lost you. I wish you'd never had anything to do with these men and that I could have been the one holding you and loving you and raising our daughter with you. I wish I could go back in time and be there for you Raquel, but what's done is done and all that matters is that we are here, now, together at last. But just know I don't judge you, I never would.”

She sighed dreamily, he was always so earnest and pure. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this second chance with you Sergio, you make me feel so loved and protected from the world." 

He squeezed her tightly, his hands rubbing slow, soothing circles over her back. He inhaled her scent, treasuring the smell of her and wishing he could bottle it up and keep it for whenever she wasn’t around; he silently prayed that wouldn’t be very often.

She interrupted his day dreaming, pulling back slightly to stare longingly into his eyes... “This night has been incredible hasn’t it?” 

He grinned at her. “The most amazing.”

“Will you stay the night?” 

“If you’ll let me, I’ll stay with you every night for the rest of my life, Raquel.”

She laughed quietly before kissing him slowly and deeply, conveying without words just how much he meant to her; the feeling was entirely mutual, so he kissed her back unhurriedly, with just as much fervour. They broke apart as she cuddled closer and closed her eyes, tilting her head back to press lazy kisses against his jaw, unwilling to not be kissing him for a single second. 

“I’m worried I’ll wake up in the morning and you won’t be here, that this will have all been a wonderful dream.”

He nuzzled the top of her head, planting a kiss against her crown.

“I’ll be here Raquel, I swear to you... and then we will go home to our daughter. You and me.”

“You and me”, she whispered back before drifting off to sleep in the cosy cocoon of his arms.

_Always, you and me_ , he thought to himself, before finally succumbing to slumber, truly relaxed and at peace for the first time in years.

....

....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter we will meet Paula, and honestly she is so bloody cute I can't cope. Writing about her is bringing me absolute joy.  
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!


	7. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio and Raquel return to Barcelona to get back to Paula.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the next chapter friends! Thank you all for such lovely comments constantly, this really is the best fandom.  
> I know I promised Paula this chapter, but I started writing and the chapter was getting longer and longer and I felt like I was including too much content. So I’ve taken the Paula awake scenes and saved them for the next update. She is included here and she’s pretty darn cute, but she will be fully awake next chapter.

Sergio couldn’t quite grasp how much his life had changed in the space of forty eight hours.

Two days ago he was on a deliriously long flight from New York to Madrid, and now, he was on an internal passenger plane on his way to Barcelona - _to meet his daughter_. He clutched Raquel’s hand tighter in his lap, refusing to let go of her for a single second, terrified that if he broke contact she would vanish into thin air. As he turned his head to gaze down at her, he was rendered speechless at the thought of how much his life had turned around in the shortest amount of time, and how he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Last night had been, by far, the greatest reunion of his life. He’d never imagined bumping in to Raquel, so to reunite with her and have her welcome him back in to her life and let him meet his daughter, _well_ , he was blown away by how amazing she was. Of course, he’d always known how special Raquel was, but to see her smiling up at him, caressing his hand as if to soothe his nerves, he was overcome with love for her. 

When they’d woken this morning, they’d ordered room service and relished the peaceful morning in bed, together. Raquel had laughed and told him to cherish this moment of quiet, as come tomorrow Paula would allow for no relaxation and demand all of the attention. She’d said it in a joking way, but he could see the slight worry in her eyes, terrified that the thought of a demanding toddler would scare him and make him run for the hills. In actual fact, Sergio couldn’t wait to be rushed off his feet by his daughter - although he’d only known of her existence for a few hours, it was as if his whole life had been missing her, and the very idea of being wrapped around her little finger was filling him with excitement. He just hoped she’d warm to him and not be scared of this new man being thrust in to her life. 

They’d separated after breakfast to pack their suitcases and catch up with their respective friends in private. Alicia was bursting to find out _everything_ from Raquel, who happily filled her in with equal enthusiasm. Alicia was thrilled for her best friend and thought that having Sergio back in her life was long overdue and perfect for little Paula. After an alfresco lunch just the two of them, Alicia left to catch her flight back to London and Raquel promised to FaceTime her next week to tell her how Sergio was fitting in to her and Paula’s life. Raquel was grateful for her friend, as when she left for the airport she promised to be her sounding board and listen to her every worry whenever she needed, just as she always had.

After lunch Raquel rang home to check in on Paula. She knew the little girl would have been as good as gold for her mama, but she was still relieved to hear that she’d slept through the night and been absolutely fine without her. Hearing her baby blabber nonsense in the background made Raquel’s heart ache, she couldn’t wait to get back to Barcelona and have her wrapped in her arms. She decided to tell her mama all about Sergio and what had happened at the reunion, the mother and daughter duo had never had any secrets and she didn’t intend to start keeping things from her now. Of course, Mariví had been overjoyed at the news since she had always adored Sergio and knew her daughter had never quite gotten over her first and only love, but she was sure to not ask too many questions. She knew her daughter would explain more when the time was right, so when Raquel had asked her to make sure Paula would be at her apartment when she and Sergio arrived back later in the evening, she’d agreed instantly and promised to not make it uncomfortable for anyone. 

Mid afternoon Sergio came to meet Raquel at her hotel to take her for a drink with Andrés and Martín. Back when they were at college she’d never really warmed to the former, but seeing him years later with his charming husband, Raquel thought he had become incredibly kind and could clearly see how much the married couple loved one another. They’d been welcoming and nothing but lovely to her, treating her with respect and admiration, asking her all about her career as a graphic designer, as well as asking to see photos of little Paula, which of course she showed happily. As they sat in the afternoon sun enjoying their second glass of sangria, Raquel couldn’t help but sit back and watch Sergio and Andrés interact with each other, it was obvious how close they were, and in that moment she was overcome with gratitude for Andres; he’d been there for her love when she wasn’t, and for that she’d always be thankful. 

Before they left for the airport in the early evening, Ágata had made an appearance in Sergio’s hotel lobby to say goodbye, pulling Raquel into a fierce hug and planting over enthusiastic kisses on her cheek. It was clear she was thrilled to have her back in their life, and Raquel was overjoyed that there were no hard feelings between the pair and that they were moving forward with a newfound friendship. The brunette lived in Madrid, so made the couple promise they would come back to visit her soon, with Paula of course. Raquel had laughed and agreed, taking a quick look at Sergio to see his reaction; he was smiling from ear to ear and promised Ágata that they would see her very soon. As Raquel spoke to the receptionist, she heard Ágata reassure Sergio that Silene had returned to Tokyo and that they’d never have to worry about seeing her again. As she listened, Raquel prayed with every fibre of her being that Silene wouldn’t make an appearance in their lives again, especially now they were all aware her daughter was involved. She looked back at Sergio once more, smiling warmly at him as she caught his eye, silently hoping that this wasn’t all too good to be true and that nothing would come along soon to ruin this for them…

As the seatbelt sign pinged on and the pilot announced their imminent arrival, Sergio glanced out of the window, watching the beautiful Barcelona skyline come in to view, bright lights twinkling in the night sky. He hadn’t been back here since Raquel had bought him years ago to meet her family, but he wasn’t nervous in the slightest; no, he felt like he was finally coming alive after years of somber tranquility and living alone. He felt at peace as he squeezed her hand, causing her to turn to look into his eyes and beam up at him, excitement at being reunited with her baby written all over her face. Sergio felt the familiar flutter in his stomach as he looked at her and he swore to himself to make her smile like that at least once a day for the rest of her life, it was the least she deserved. He leant his head back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in preparation for landing, and that’s when he realised, as long as he was with Raquel, he’d always be home. 

……..

As the taxi pulled up in front of her apartment block and they climbed out onto the sidewalk, she could sense him stiffen beside her. 

“Nervous?”

Sergio nodded slowly, “I wasn’t, but now I am... what if she doesn’t like me?”

Raquel laughed softly, placing her hand in his and giving him a reassuring squeeze.

“She’s three years old, she doesn’t know the concept of not liking people. Sure, she might be a little shy around you at first, but she’ll warm up to you in no time.”

He grimaced at the thought of his daughter having to warm up to him, but he knew that it would be likely. Paula had spent over three years without him, she wasn’t exactly going to run into his arms instantly.

“And if she doesn’t warm up to you, I have a secret biscuit stash you can bribe her with. If you give her one of those, you’ll be her best friend.”

“I’m... I’m going to have to bribe her to like me?”

She laughed louder now, throwing her head back in adoration.

“Sergio! Honestly, she’s practically a baby, don’t look so terrified. Luckily for you she’ll be fast asleep and you won’t have to worry about any of this until the morning. Come on... let’s head on up.”

He followed her up the stairs and was filled with sudden comfort as she reached back to take his hand in hers once more. She was a beacon of trust and reassurance for him and he couldn’t quite believe he was lucky enough to be here, with her. 

Once they reached the second floor and walked a short way along the corridor, Raquel unlocked the door and they stepped inside her spacious home. It was close to midnight, but the space was filled with a warm glow from the several lamps scattered throughout; Sergio thought it was perfect, cosy and homely, just like everywhere Raquel had ever lived. As he followed her down the hallway and into the living area, he glanced around to take in his surroundings and could vividly envision Raquel and Paula perfectly inhabiting this home together; playing in the living room, baking in the kitchen, sitting on the balcony on warm evenings to enjoy their dinner together. He began to notice more details about the home as he looked around in awe; photos of Paula, vases of beautiful, bright tulips, toy cars and teddy bears scattered on the floor, and then he spotted Mariví fast asleep in the armchair, the light from the television reflecting off her face. 

Raquel walked quietly over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to gently wake her without startling her. 

“I’m home, mama.”

Mariví slowly opened her eyes, smiling fondly up at her daughter.

“My love, how was your trip?”

“It was good, yes, but I’m glad to be home. Did Paula go down okay?”

Mariví rose from the seat as she nodded, “yes, she’s always a good girl for her abuela. We played a little and read a book, and then she went straight to sleep after a bottle of milk.”

Raquel nodded happily as she let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. She turned to smile shyly at Sergio, his slightly nervous expression mirroring hers. 

“Mama, you remember Sergio?”

Raquel knew full well her mother remembered the only man she’d ever loved and the father of her child, but she wasn’t sure how else to introduce him after all this time; she suddenly felt nervous and logical words seemed to evade her. 

“Raquel... please. Of course I remember him.”

Mariví turned to face him with a huge grin on her face, beckoning him over and taking him into her arms as soon as he was close enough. 

“Sergio... It’s so good to see you again after all this time. Little Paulita will be excited to meet you tomorrow I’m sure”, she said warmly, taking his face in her hands and giving him a kiss on each cheek. 

He smiled back at her, he’d always liked Raquel’s mother and he was relieved that she was greeting him with such warmth - he wasn’t sure he deserved it - and he wondered if Raquel had explained their situation to her mother already. As he glanced over his shoulder to look back at Raquel, he noticed the tears in her eyes and the adoration painted on her face. He suddenly realised that she’d obviously explained everything to her earlier in the day and that Mariví hadn’t judged him at all, in fact it appeared as though she completely forgave him for any past mistakes. He was filled with emotion and adoration for this family, the family he’d once been a part of and wanted to remain a part of for the rest of his life now that he was back. 

“I’ll leave you two be anyway, no doubt you’re exhausted and ready for bed, I know I am!”

With that, Mariví gave a final round of kisses and headed out, promising she would send Raquel a text as soon as she stepped foot inside her home.

They were basked in comfortable silence, smiling stupidly at each other from across the room, before Raquel reached out her hand, encouraging him to come closer. 

“Would you like to go and take a look at her? This is probably the quietest you’ll ever see her, so I’d take the chance while you can,” she whispered before laughing softly. 

He chuckled before swallowing loudly and nodding at her in response. He was beyond nervous, but _god_ , he’d been waiting for this moment _all_ day long. 

She tugged at his hand and they walked slowly down the hall towards a door that was half ajar. As Raquel pushed it completely open so they could step inside, he looked up to take in the stars and planets projected on the ceiling in a soft white glow, he realised they were coming from the rotating night light in the corner of the room, and he hoped Paula would grow to love all things to do with space just as he did. As they walked further into the bedroom and Raquel stepped aside, he saw her, sleeping peacefully in her bed with a protective railing down the side of her, _Paula_. 

She was there and she was utterly, beautifully perfect. He looked down at her, tears in his eyes and he was filled to the brim with an undying love for this tiny, little girl in front of him. All day he’d been anticipating this moment, he hadn’t known about her two days ago, but now... she was his whole, entire world - and he was finally meeting her. 

He gripped Raquel’s hand even tighter, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe.

She pulled him closer, reaching up to place a soft kiss on his cheek. He shifted his gaze from Paula to her and could see from the look in her eyes that she understood his emotions perfectly... of course she did.

He blinked at her, fighting away the unshed tears, “Raquel... am I ready?”

“Oh, Sergio”, she sighed, lifting his hand to place a kiss on the back of it. “I know this is so new for you, but yes, I think you’ve been ready for this your whole life... you just never knew it. Paula is going to adore you, trust me.”

He smiled warmly at her, trusting her reassuring words as he dared to step closer to his daughter’s bed, clutching Raquel’s hand and tugging her forward with him. She squeezed his fingers, reminding him that she was there no matter what and that he was more than ready for this new role. 

“Oh Raquel, look at her”, he breathed, as he looked back down at Paula sleeping peacefully. He sank to his knees next to the bed, finally allowing the silent tears to fall freely down his cheeks; he felt like he was living in a dream. Raquel stood behind him, her hands stroking his shoulders in comfort, and he could hear her sniffling as she too shed her own tears of joy, grief, but above all else, _love_. 

Paula lay snug underneath her feathery duvet, bunny secure in his place under her arm, her chubby little fist up by her puckered lips that were parted softly and twitching in her sleep. Mousey coloured curls covered her head, a little wisp of hair fluttering over her eyelashes, and Sergio without thinking tenderly reached out to brush it off of her face. She was more perfect than he’d ever thought possible, he’d never known a love like it. He stroked a finger lightly down her soft cheek, before tickling at her tiny palm next to her face. Although she was fast asleep, she shuffled slightly and closed her hand around his finger, letting out a long, utterly satisfied breath. Sergio felt a huge wave of affection soar heavily through his heart, so much so, it felt as though it might burst. Paula was not even awake, yet he knew already that he was completely at her mercy. 

Raquel leaned down to press a soothing kiss to his temple, before whispering in his ear, “see, I told you she wasn’t so scary.”

“Well... she isn’t awake yet...” he replied fondly, but he knew she was right, Paula was pure bliss and nothing to be afraid of. He turned his head to look at Raquel, though he still held on to Paula’s little hand. “Raquel, she’s perfect, she’s so beautiful, she’s a mini you.”

Raquel’s eyes glistened as she smiled at him. “While I’m happy to hear you call us beautiful, you’ll see when she’s awake that although her hair and colouring are just like mine... her eyes are all you, she is your absolute double. The fact that she looks so much like you bought me such happiness and sadness over the years, but now, I’m so, so happy that she looks like her papa.”

He turned to look back at his darling little girl, before removing his hand from her grip and standing back up to face Raquel. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she in turn placed hers around his neck, leaning forward to give him the softest of kisses. 

“Well, I think she’s beautiful”, he murmured against her lips, before pulling back to look into her eyes. “She gets her beauty entirely from you, but if her eyes are like mine, then I’m overjoyed there’s a little part of me in there.”

She smiled shyly before replying, “Sergio, there’s so much of you in her. The way she calculates everything she does, the way she ponders over her decisions... she’s more you than you can even begin to imagine. I can’t wait for you to discover it with each new day. She might look like me, but she’s just as much you in terms of personality.”

He grinned at her, before turning to look down at Paula once more. “I can’t believe how lucky I am, in the space of two days... I’ve gone from being just me, to having you back in my life, and now a daughter - it’s just - I can’t... oh Raquel, I just can’t seem to get my head around it. I’ve never, ever been so happy and grateful in my entire life. 

Raquel laughed before pulling him flush to her chest and silencing him with a definite kiss. “We are the lucky ones too Sergio, to have you. To have you accept us both back into your life with open arms. I wish we hadn’t lost the last four years, but what’s done is done now and we can only move forward. There aren’t many people who would take this as you have, you’re quite wonderful yourself really.”

“I don’t know about that”, he sighed. “But I’ll try my hardest every day to be the man you both deserve.”

Raquel felt her eyes filling with tears once more, the past two days had been exhausting in the best way possible and she still couldn’t comprehend the changes. She nuzzled his neck, breathing him in for a moment, before they both turned their heads to look down at their baby girl. 

“She really is perfect isn’t she, we clearly make good children together.”

He chuckled against the top of her head before whispering, “we sure do, although I’m not sure I can take much credit for how perfect she’s turned out.”

She laughed softly, before raising a teasing brow. “Well good job you’re here to stay and can influence her for the rest of her upbringing.”

He pulled back to look down at her before kissing her soundly, opening his mouth to her and letting his adoration and affection show through his kiss. He felt Raquel respond in kind, eagerly clutching at him and kissing him harder and more deeply as the seconds ran away from them. As he kissed her in this shared space, with their daughter asleep before them, he’d never felt so full and content in his life. 

Their breathless gasps began to fill the air and he pulled back to look down at her, still holding on to her as if his life depended on it. 

“I wanted to ask, the night light with the stars and the planets... did Paula choose that?”

Raquel gazed up at him with half lidded, lust filled eyes and freshly kissed lips, glistening in the soft light. She took a deep breath, swallowing down her hunger for him before answering. 

“No, I bought it when she was a few months old, I wanted her to have a night light and I know how much you love astronomy and space... so I decided to get her one that projected stars and planets. I wanted to include you as much as possible, and I knew that had you have been here you would have loved it, just like she does. Honestly Sergio, she loves it. She lays in bed watching the stars before she drifts off to sleep, sometimes I lay with her and we watch them together, pointing out the planets and the shooting stars. When I leave the room for her to go to sleep I can hear her counting them, she’s only just learning so she only really ever manages to get to ten before she loses it, but it makes my heart burst all the same.”

Sergio stared at her dumbfounded. He’d always loved anything to do with astronomy, a fact Raquel had always known and loved to study with him when they’d been together. When he first walked into Paula’s bedroom and saw the night light, he only dared to hope that Raquel had bought it with him in mind. So to hear her openly admit that she bought it, _just_ so a part of him would be in his daughters life and influence her likes... he was struck speechless for a moment. 

“I can’t believe you bought her that in the hope she’d like the night sky as much as me”, he whispered, overcome with emotion once more. 

She grinned up at him, “of course I did Sergio, I’ve always made sure to include you, whether you liked it or not. And, well... Paula now loves anything to do with space. I’m not so good with the planets, I try to learn for her but it’s all so confusing, so I’m hoping now that you’re here - well... hopefully you can teach her all about them and study her night light with her before she goes to sleep each night?”

“Oh Raquel. I couldn’t think of anything I’d possibly want to do more.”

She laughed delicately before moving her face forward until her lips hovered centimetres from his. Her voice was soft, hardly more than a whisper as she said, “now that you’ve seen her and are prepared for the morning, how about you take me to bed?”

“I think”, he started, staring dreamily down at her and planting a kiss on the tip of her nose, “that is a brilliant idea.”

She smiled before pulling away from him. She leant down to press a soft kiss to her daughters forehead, tucking the covers more snugly around her, before standing up straight and turning to walk out of the room. Sergio stood awkwardly for a moment, looking down at their little girl, unwilling to leave her side now that he was finally with her.

“Sergio”, Raquel called out, “she’ll be there in the morning. Now, come to bed.”

He smiled to himself, before reaching out one last time to stroke his daughters powder soft cheek; he couldn’t believe she was his and tomorrow he would be getting to know her. But for now, he would enjoy this quiet time with Raquel, he would cherish every single second of it. 

As they stepped out of the little girl’s nursery, they quickly returned to the living area to shut off the lights, lock the door and collect their bags, before moving down the hall towards Raquel’s bedroom to ready themselves for bed. They showered together, taking their time to wash one another with gentle caresses. Their hands were on each other, slipping over the wetness of their skin, their lips meeting and tongues dancing against each other under the steaming water that pounded down on to them. 

Breathless sighs mingled with the running water, steam rose around them as they touched and tasted, rediscovering each other as if it had been years - not hours, since they’d last come together. Sergio audibly moaned as Raquel broke away from him and their incredibly deep kiss, his hands clutching at her waist as her lips lowered and she sucked gently at his neck, down towards his chest, while her fingers lightly scratched at his stomach and skimmed down lower until she reached him... grasping hold of him as a strangled gasp escaped from the back of his throat. 

Raquel pulled her head back to look up at him, her eyebrows raised teasingly, her mouth parted and turned upwards into a slight, seductive smile. She stared at him for the briefest moment, before lowering her lips to his chest once more, moving down, down, over his wet torso with increasing determination, nipping and licking at him until he thought he would come undone any second. Sergio leant back weakly against the cold tiles, shuddering at the contrast between their coolness and the wet warmth of Raquel’s mouth, which was working its way down his front to where he desperately wanted it the most. He closed his eyes, swallowed thickly and reached blindly out to slam one hand against the slippery wall for support. His other hand moved to cup her jaw, his thumb stroking her face softly as she reached her destination, and suddenly her hot breath was over him, so close, tickling... then her lips were on him at last, her mouth closing around him, sucking gently. He tipped his head back, resting it against the wall as the water continued to beat down on them, the steam and water around them only heightening the sensations of how amazing this felt. He moved his hand around and twisted his fingers in her hair as she bobbed up and down on him, her tongue stroking, her lips teasing, her hands stroking _just so_. 

Groans of pleasure were slipping from his throat and he could feel his control begin to slip away. He bucked his hips to take himself deeper into her mouth, cradling her face in his hand as he lifted his head to look down at her. Watching her look at him, taking him as deeply as she could, it was the sexiest fucking thing he’d ever seen and he knew he would come any second if she kept this up. He pulled her head away and her lips slipped from him with a ‘pop’, she grinned up at him, her lips wet as he flicked the shower off, before reaching down to bring her to her feet. Without words he pulled her from the shower, hastily drying her and himself before lifting her off the ground and allowing her to wrap her arms and legs around him. 

No words were spoken as they stumbled to the bed, lips crashing together messily, before they fell in a tangled heap. Within seconds Raquel was on her back and Sergio was over her, _in her_ , taking her hard and loving her - adoring her. Their skin was damp as they slid against each other, writhing in the darkness of night, claiming one another as their own. The longing and desperation they felt for each other was apparent and they were overcome with emotion, pleasure and every single sensation of their touch. They sighed and gasped into each other’s mouths as Sergio took her hard and deep and fast and wild, Raquel welcoming him, urging him on, clutching at his back, scratching gently at his skin and wrapping her legs tightly around his hips in order to take him as deep as she possibly could. 

Sergio drove in to her over and over and over again, before the familiar feeling of pleasure began to build within both of them. They melded together and when he knew he was close, he reached a hand down between them, circling her where she needed his touch the most and they came apart together, breaking at the seams as wave after glorious wave rushed through them both, accompanied by desperate, loud moans that travelled through the night air and splintered the stillness of the otherwise silent apartment. 

Once they’d recovered and come down from their high, they climbed in between the sheets, clutching at one another, giggling, Sergio spooned behind Raquel - the perfect fit. They lay whispering about everything and nothing, as he peppered soft kisses on her shoulder and the crook of her neck, and it wasn’t long before Raquel drifted off into a sound slumber, wrapped cosily in his arms. 

As he felt her breathing even out and was sure she’d fallen asleep, Sergio pulled himself from their entanglement, slipping on his boxers as he crept from the room. He walked across the hall to push open the door to Paula’s nursery and he tiptoed slowly towards her bed. He couldn’t help himself, he just needed to see her one last time before he went to sleep, _his little girl_. She began to stir, turning her face towards him and he froze on the spot, but she simply let out a long sigh, smacking her lips in sleepy contentment. Sergio took this as his cue to leave, he didn’t want her to wake up without Raquel being there to hold his hand, so he walked backwards towards the door, not taking his eyes off of her until the very last second. 

He stepped back out in to the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him, leaving a little gap just as Raquel had left earlier. He returned to their bedroom and climbed back into the bed with Raquel. She was fast asleep, but turned towards him as he slid under the covers to lay down, throwing her arm over his chest and tucking her head under his chin. He didn’t even think she was aware of it, but the fact she was already reaching for him in the depths of slumber gave him butterflies, so he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and allowed himself to breathe her in. 

Eventually his mind began to relax as he processed the events of the past two days, and he wrapped his arms more securely around her. As he lay listening to her soft, even breaths he felt himself begin to drift off, utterly satisfied. Being here with Raquel and Paula was more than he could ever have wished for, and knowing the two most important people in his life were fast asleep and safe with him, well, he truly felt that nothing would ever top this feeling of sheer contentment and utter, blissful joy.

....  
....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I love kudos and comments.
> 
> Also for those interested, this is the night light that Paula has in her bedroom, I had one years ago and it was the best thing ever!
> 
> https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/1pc-sky-projector-light-warm-white-usb-creative-36-v_p7502656.html?currency=GBP&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&sku=221_3079%7C224_37753&country_code=gb&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&adword_mt=&adword_ct=412206506589&adword_kw=&adword_pos=&adword_pl=&adword_net=u&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=3516490533_8950463197_93145555187_pla-861857501271&gclid=CjwKCAjwps75BRAcEiwAEiACMcLvMNvTbbVg0eF_vXCpEAO6kwIxMP8XOdpUDy2XbpdDzOZabn_L1hoCflsQAvD_BwE


	8. Getting To Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio finally meets Paula - but will she like him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay lovely people, work has been manic these last few weeks and so my time to write has been very limited. It took me longer to get this chapter right and I’m still not 100% happy with it, but it’s pure love and fluff and the next chapter is where I get in to the more serious stuff.
> 
> Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

As the early morning sun made its way through the gap in the curtains, Raquel awoke in comfort and warmth with the delight of Sergio’s arms around her. Her back was snug against his front, his hand resting gently on her stomach, with his breath falling softly on the back of her neck with each exhale. She smiled happily as she opened her eyes. She was back in Barcelona, her baby still sleeping in the room across the hall, with Sergio _here_ , in her bed. Today Paula would finally meet her father and they could spend the day as a family, together. 

Slowly, she rolled over to look at him, gazing lovingly at his sleeping face, wrapping her arm around his waist as she wriggled closer to kiss him awake. She planted delicate kisses all over his face - on his chin, his cheeks, his eyelids, before finally settling her attention to his wonderfully soft lips. It didn’t take long to rouse him from his slumber, and she grinned against his lips as he began to respond and trace patterns all over her back with his fingertips. He deepened the kiss, twisting his fingers in to her hair to hold her in place as he worshipped and ravished her mouth with his own. After several long moments she leaned back, moving her hands to frame his face and stroke his cheeks in a soft caress.

“Good morning”, she smiled lazily. 

Sergio blinked at her, his eyes still half lidded with sleep, before he turned his face in to her hand and kissed her palm softly. His hands slipped across her back and shoulders, caressing her gently, as he took one of her hands in his, distracting himself by lavishing her wrist with tender, soft kisses. 

Raquel laughed quietly - how much she adored this man. How had she spent so many years apart from him? With him here, looking at her as if she were the most important thing on this earth, nothing else mattered. 

“How did you sleep?” Sergio replied, rolling on to his back, pulling her with him and in to a cosy embrace. She sprawled herself happily over him, nestling her head perfectly under his chin, letting out an audible sigh of contentment - she never wanted this feeling to end. 

She squeezed her arm more tightly around his waist and lifted her face to press a kiss on his neck. “Amazingly. I haven’t felt this relaxed in years.”

Sergio grinned broadly down at her before replying. “I think I know how to relax you even more..”

“Oh”, she said, grinning. “Do you now?”

He smiled shyly at her, his eyes warm and full of devotion, lowering his head to kiss her languidly. As he attempted to deepen the kiss further, a cry was heard from across the hall, followed by the sound of a little someone calling out loudly for her mama. 

Sergio froze. Lifting his head and staring down at Raquel with wide eyes. _Paula was awake_.

Raquel beamed up at him, stroking his face softly to calm his sudden nerves. 

“That’s my alarm I’m afraid. I’ll go and see to her and take her through to get some breakfast. Come out whenever you’re ready.”

He nodded before replying, “doesn’t she come in here when she wakes up - to wake you, I mean?”

“Sometimes if I’m in a deep sleep I don’t hear her, so she’ll eventually get up and wander in here to wake me, yes. But really... your daughter is a lazy, little sloth and cries out for me to go and get her. I’m afraid her sleepy, demanding tendencies come from me... what can I say, we both love our beds.”

They laughed quietly for a moment, before Raquel quickly untangled herself from his grip, slipping on her dressing gown and making her way towards the door. She glanced back at Sergio, who was sitting up and reaching for his glasses. 

“Sergio... there’s no rush, okay? Just come and join us whenever you’re ready - we’ll be waiting.”

He smiled at her, touched that she wasn’t rushing him. She completely understood that this was a huge moment for him and that he needed a minute to gather some courage and collect his thoughts. He felt silly, feeling scared of meeting a three year old little girl, but this was different - this was _his_ little girl; and he so desperately wanted her to like him. 

As he slipped from the bed to put on his boxers and a shirt, he could hear Raquel’s soft morning voice greeting Paula from across the hall. The little girl blabbered incoherently back at her mama and Raquel replied happily, clearly understanding the toddler talk perfectly. As the two of them made their way down the hall towards the kitchen, he could hear them laughing together, Paula’s high pitched giggle invading all of his senses and making his heart swell.

After several long minutes and a few deep breaths, Sergio made his way down the hallway towards the living area. He approached the kitchen and stopped suddenly in the doorway, taking in the sight before him; sat at the table on her booster seat with her back to him was Paula, her golden curls messy from sleep, bunny clutched tightly in her hand, as she watched Raquel who sat opposite her, pour cereal into a bowl.

“More, mama!” Paula yelled, clearly desperately hungry after a long night of peaceful dreams. 

Raquel laughed. “You can’t have too much darling, you have to save some for me - or else I’ll go hungry, and we don’t want that do we?”

The little girl tilted her head to the side, analysing her mother’s question seriously, before responding in a low murmur. 

“No, mama... mustn’t go hungry. ”

Sergio stood watching them in utter bliss. He didn’t say anything, he couldn’t speak. This was probably a completely normal morning for them, Paula pestering for more food - a trait he hoped she’d inherited from him, seeing as he was _always_ hungry when he was a child - and Raquel laughing quietly at her, perfectly content with their morning conversations and peace, just the two of them together before the busy rush of the day began. 

He shuffled on his feet as he leant against the doorframe, causing Raquel to look up suddenly, her face breaking in to a breathtaking grin as she saw him. His breath caught in his throat as she lowered her gaze to the little girl, before looking back up into his eyes. All at once Paula fidgeted in her seat, turning slowly, curious as to what her mother was smiling at behind her. 

Frozen to the spot, Sergio watched Paula, trembling slightly on his feet, waiting for her reaction. She made eye contact with him and a quiet gasp escaped from his throat as he took in her face and all of her features; she was so very beautiful. He knew she would be - _she was Raquel’s daughter after all_ , her golden hair fell in gentle curls around her face, the baby hairs standing in disarray from where she’d only been out of bed a short while, her little lips were pink and pouted - just like Raquel’s when she concentrated on something... but her eyes - _her eyes were all him_. As Sergio looked in to his daughter's eyes for the very first time, it was like looking in to a mirror. They were deep and dark, pools of melted chocolate, so much like his own that it was scary. He realised he was staring with his mouth hanging open when Paula furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side to analyse him, her expression when she was focused on something was so much like his own it was almost comical. He’d never met Paula before, never had any influence on her life, but if a stranger came in to this kitchen right now and saw the two of them staring at each other, there would be no doubt in their mind that they were father and daughter. Paula was Raquel’s beautiful little mini me, but it was thrilling to see that she also looked so very much like him. 

“Paula”, Raquel whispered. “Say hello to mama’s friend.”

He snapped his gaze away from the babe at the word ‘friend’ and glanced at Raquel. _Friend_? Was that really how she felt? But he reminded himself, they couldn’t simply jump in and tell Paula he was her father, that would likely frighten her, and besides, she was far too little to understand why her papa was suddenly appearing in her life when he’d never been there before. 

“Hello”, Paula replied, her expression changing to something softer. She gave a small wave and tucked bunny more firmly under her arm. 

“Hi Paula”, he smiled, daring to step further into the room, never taking his eyes off of her for a second. 

The girl watched him intently as he walked around the table to sit in the chair next to Raquel. As he sat, she looked sideways at him and smiled, placing her hand on his thigh under the table, giving him a reassuring squeeze and urging him to continue the conversation. 

“And, good morning bunny”, he said, glancing down at the stuffed animal that was wedged under Paula’s arm.

Paula smiled shyly, lowering her face until it was next to her cuddly toy, before lifting her head in confidence after a moment. 

“Bunny says g’morning”, she said in her clumsy toddler talk, before giggling at the silly man who was speaking to her toy as if it was the most normal thing in the world, which to her it was - bunny was her very best friend after all.

He laughed heartily right along with her. Paula’s chubby cheeks were still slightly flushed from sleep, her hair was falling over her eyes - which she gently batted away with her tiny hands, and her gappy smile was spread from ear to ear, her few teeth showing. There was no denying that his little girl was perfectly happy and content in her life, and it bought him so much happiness to see. He thought that hearing her laugh and watching her smile at him, might just be the most wonderful thing he’d ever witnessed in his life.

Raquel smiled at the both of them, before interrupting to push the bowl of cereal in front of Paula. 

“Eat your breakfast silly girl, then we can get ready and go out for the day.”

Paula’s face lit up at hearing that, her curiosity peaked. She placed bunny on the table in front of her before lifting her spoon, ready to eat her food.

“Where we going mama?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go to the park, then we could take a little walk and get some lunch, and then, maybe - if you’re good - we could stop and get an ice cream at the beach.”

Paula’s mouth fell open in to an exaggerated ‘oh’, her hands raising in the air as she wiggled in her seat, happily filled with glee. Raquel had promised all of her favourite things, and she couldn’t imagine a better way to spend her day. 

“You coming?” Paula asked, turning her attention to Sergio.

The smile fell from his face and was replaced with a flummoxed expression, he was nervous all of a sudden at the little girl’s question directed solely at him. Did she want him to come? 

“Um - well, y-yes... I’ll be coming, if that’s alright with you?”

Paula furrowed her brows, before nodding at him - just once. Yes, she wanted this funny, nice man to come with her and mama on their day out. 

“What’s your name?”

He smiled softly at her. He so desperately wanted to say his name was papa, but he didn’t want to confuse her. 

“My name is Sergio, I know your mama from a long, long time ago.”

He felt Raquel’s hand on his thigh twitch involuntarily and he placed his hand on top, intertwining their fingers. _I know her from a long time ago, and then we made you, and now I’m back and I’m never letting either of you go, ever again_ , was what he wanted to say, but he knew she was far too little to ever comprehend a sentence as complex as that. 

“Me Paula... I’m three whole years”, she replied, holding up three fingers to show she knew exactly how many that number was. 

Raquel laughed softly, “yes that’s right sweetie, you’re such a big girl... and big girl’s eat all of their breakfast.”

“And all of their vegetables at dinner time”, Sergio added quietly. 

Raquel shot him a look, surprise etched on her face. She was grateful he was trying to encourage Paula to eat healthily, he’d remembered from the first time she’d spoken about Paula that the little girl detested vegetables - well, all of them except carrots - but she knew Paula better than anyone, and she knew she would not be swayed when it came to the encouragement of eating vegetables without making a fuss.

“Yuck! No vegebles!” Paula shouted predictably, as if reading Raquel’s mind.

“It’s _vegetables_ sweetheart, and I know you don’t like them, but we have to eat them don’t we?” Raquel reminded her. 

“Otherwise we won’t grow big and strong. Plus, we have to teach bunny that eating vegetables is good for us, yes?” Sergio added.

Paula looked at him with one eyebrow raised and Raquel had to hold in a laugh. Paula was staring at him with a look that said ‘ _oh please, you think you can convince me to eat vegetables that easily, my mama’s been trying for the past year_ ’. Raquel waited with bated breath for her daughter to tell Sergio no, that under no circumstances would she eat _all_ of her vegetables, ever.

“You eat _your_ vegebles?” Paula queried quietly, focusing all of her attention on Sergio, eager to hear his thoughts on the topic.

“I do, because that’s what makes me strong, plus it makes my hair shiny and it makes me have sweet dreams. Do you think you could eat some vegetables tonight for dinner, to show bunny what a big girl you are?”

Paula raised a spoonful of cereal to her mouth, thinking long and hard for a moment as she munched on her breakfast. Raquel knew Paula’s answer would be no, so she looked down at her lap to hide her smile, their daughter was quite clearly teasing Sergio.

After a long moment the little girl replied resolutely. “Okay.”

Raquel’s head snapped up, she was gobsmacked. There was no way her daughter had agreed so easily to something she had been fighting with her for months and months over, yet here she was, agreeing with Sergio wholeheartedly. She watched the two of them smiling at each other, her face frozen in shock, amazed that Sergio had made their daughter compromise on something without even trying. He was a natural at parenting and he’d only been doing it for ten minutes; she almost rolled her eyes at the irony. 

Paula was soon distracted by food and her cuddly toy, muttering quiet conversations with bunny, feeding him a pretend spoonful of her breakfast every now and then. Raquel took the opportunity of peace to talk privately with Sergio, she was still utterly flabbergasted. 

“Sergio... do you realise how long I’ve been fighting that battle?”

He simply turned to her, his eyes twinkling and a soft smirk gracing his face. 

“We’ll have to see if she actually follows through with the agreement first, Raquel,” he laughed quietly, taking a sip of his coffee and looking back towards Paula.

She nodded, smiling. “Well, yes, but still, she’s never even agreed with me before about vegetables, that was quite an accomplishment. You’re a natural at this.”

He glanced sideways and gave her such a tender smile, gently reaching for her hand again underneath the table.

“Do you think she likes me?” Sergio whispered in a low voice, filled with wonder and genuine concern, it made Raquel’s heart ache with love.

“Oh Sergio, I’m sure she does... she just agreed with you and she hardly knows you.”

“I know. She agreed with me, _me_ , Raquel. I can’t believe it.”

“Well, she obviously trusts your thoughts, you’re very hard to say no to, I must say. Don’t overthink it, just cherish the fact that you just won your first of many parent battles.”

He felt his face blush at that - _parent battle_ , of course, he was a parent now, he reminded himself. The thought of it sent a wave of affection coursing through his veins. 

The rest of the morning passed in a blur - a beautiful, overwhelming blur for Sergio. Once the trio had finished their breakfast, they got ready for the day and before long they were ready to leave the apartment for some fun in the city. Raquel had filled a backpack with everything you could possibly need to care for a toddler on a day out; wet wipes, tissues, bunny, a change of underwear - for the newly potty trained Paula - and snacks. The little girl had demanded carrot sticks be packed for her snack and Sergio found the conversation between mother and daughter so endearing, the grin on his face was beginning to hurt. 

_”Paula honey, mama is packing snacks incase you get peckish before lunch, what would you like?”_

_“Carrots... please”, she replied without a moments hesitation._

_Sergio chuckled to himself at the irony. Paula hated vegetables with every fibre of her being, but carrots were her go to snack. His daughter was so very adorable she made his heart swell, she was definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with._

_“Carrots huh? Okay, carrots it is... what about vegetables, shall I pack some of them as a snack?”_

_“No! Mama, no, please. No vegebles. Just carrots.”_

_Raquel looked towards Sergio, winking secretly at him. Paula hadn’t yet discovered that carrots, were indeed vegetables, and Raquel took sheer joy in keeping that fact hidden from her daughter for as long as possible, he couldn’t help but laugh as he remembered._

_“But you promised you’d eat vegetables at dinner tonight, remember? Mama always tells you that we must stick to our promises, doesn’t she?”_

_“Yes, mama. Promise.”_

Once the snacks were packed and everyone had their shoes on, they made their way to the door. Raquel had tried to get Paula into her pushchair, but the girl was far too excited to be going out with not only her mama, but mama’s new friend too, she’d jumped up and down with glee, protesting the idea of being strapped in all day. Paula had insisted she was a big girl and did not need her pushchair, she could walk - holding mama’s hand of course. Raquel had tried to reason with her, explaining that her little legs would get tired and she wouldn’t be able to rest and have a nap if she didn’t have the buggy, but the girl was adamant, her eyes welling up at the idea of not being free to walk around. Raquel had thrown up her hands and relented, but told Paula that she wouldn’t be carried by any means, if she was a big girl and didn’t need her pushchair then she was too big to be picked up and carried home; the adults looked at each other slyly, expecting their daughter to give in, but she’d grinned and bopped on the spot with happiness, nodding - just once - to show she agreed with the terms. _God, she was so much like her mother_ , Sergio thought to himself proudly, she was a feisty character and he was utterly obsessed with her already. 

They made their way down the backstreets of Barcelona, heading from the apartment to the livelier area of La Rambla, Paula clutched at her mother’s hand while Sergio stood on the other side of Raquel, the rucksack firmly in place on his back. He desperately wanted to reach out to hold Raquel’s hand, but he wasn’t sure if she’d be comfortable with that, not in front of Paula at least, he didn’t want to cause any awkward questions, so he kept his hand swinging at his side. As if sensing his internal debate, Raquel looked sideways at him, smiling warmly, before reaching out to intertwine their fingers together and squeezing tightly. If a passerby was to look at the three of them, there would be no doubt in their mind that they were a family enjoying a nice, summers day in the city; the thought filled him to the brim with warmth.

Taking their time, they walked slowly, _well_ , as fast as Paula’s little legs would allow them to, and light conversation filled the air between them. Raquel asked Paula all about her time at her mother’s and Sergio listened inquisitively, trying hard to make out every word the toddler spoke. She stumbled over bigger words and there were a few things he didn’t understand, but he was filled with overwhelming love for the precious girl the more he listened to their conversation. He couldn’t stop smiling and was beyond happy, it felt too good to be true. 

Eventually, they reached the park and Paula was free to run and play to her hearts content. Sergio and Raquel settled close by on a bench, talking about anything and everything as they watched their daughter play. Their eyes were glued to Paula, but every now and then the temptation to look at each other became too much and they would glance at each other longingly, staring deep in to one another’s eyes as they whispered quietly. More often than not, they were dragged back to reality by the little girl yelling out to her mama to watch her, as she ran and jumped into the sand pit, or went down the slide all by herself, and Sergio found himself watching her with adoration the entire time. There were a few occasions where Raquel had to quickly run to help her, like when she climbed far too high on the climbing frame that was much bigger than her; when Sergio had spotted her and alerted Raquel, he felt his stomach drop as Paula ran around the high wooden beam teetering far too close to the edge. They had called out to her to stay still and wait but the little girl had carried on, giggling loudly, completely proud of herself. Raquel had then carried her over to where Sergio was sat, telling her that she must be careful and that she was still only small, but Paula had huffed and puffed, her arms folded in annoyance - she was too confident for her own good, and Sergio finally realised what Raquel had meant when she said she could be a little madam. 

Letting out an exasperated sigh at her daughter's wild nature, Raquel decided it was time for the trio to pack up and head off to get some lunch at a local restaurant. They all laughed and teased each other over a shared pizza and Sergio noticed that Paula kept turning to him and smiling, he felt like he was winning his daughter over and was happy she was naturally finding herself drawn to him. The sun was shining when they exited the restaurant, so they made their way to the beach - Paula had been promised an ice cream and she had _not_ forgotten about it for one second. 

“Ice cream now, mama?” 

“Yes cariño, ice cream now”, Raquel smiled, stroking her daughters silky soft hair.

Sergio looked down at the girl, smiling fondly. “What flavour do you think you want, Paula?”

“Mmm... ‘nilla”, the girl decided after a long moment. 

He looked questioningly at Raquel, he still had a lot to learn when it came to the toddler talk. 

“She means vanilla”, she laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon learn.”

“Yum, yum... yum, yum”, Paula sung, hopping along on each foot, holding on tight to Raquel while bopping her head in time with her melody - she was _so very_ excited for ice cream on the beach.

As she hopped along, singing to herself, she turned to Sergio and gave him a big grin, she liked mama’s new friend, and without thinking she reached up and slipped her other hand in to his, swinging herself between the two adults. 

Sergio’s eyes went big, he held on to her hand so very carefully and looked towards Raquel who gave him one of her most dazzling smiles, her eyes glistening. He held the little girl’s hand as if his life depended on it, he could hardly believe she felt so comfortable around him already. 

Five minutes later, and as soon as their feet touched the golden sand, they let her go and she ran towards the ice cream stand, they were close behind her and eventually joined the back of the queue.

Paula chattered excitedly between them as they stood waiting to be served, and Sergio took the chance to reach out and grab Raquel’s hand, drawing her attention to him. 

“Raquel, she took my hand. Can you believe it, did you see her?”

She bit her lip, trying to contain a giggle at how adorable he was acting. “Yes, I saw.”

“She just reached out to _me_ , to me, Raquel.”

“She likes you Sergio, you’re talking to her and playing with her and she obviously likes being close to you.”

He looked back down at their daughter, smiling tenderly and shook his head, he couldn’t believe it. 

Once the three of them had their ice creams, they made their way closer to the water, sitting together on a towel Raquel had packed in the rucksack. There wasn’t a lot of room, but they were happy to squish together, Paula squeezed in the middle of them as they ate in comfortable silence, watching people lark around in the shallow shore. Once the ice cream had been eaten and Paula had been cleaned up, Sergio reclined on the towel and observed as Raquel took their daughter down to the waters edge; the pair of them hand in hand and chasing the waves as they laughed, then running away before they could get wet. Raquel scooped Paula into the air as the waves reached their feet, and the little girl thought the game was the most fun, demanding more and more from her mama. He laughed as he watched them play together, their bond was indescribable and he was bursting with love, happy to give the two of them some time alone. He thought sadly of all the times they'd probably done this on their own, without him, but then he reminded himself that he was here now, and that was all that mattered. Besides, Paula and Raquel were clearly obsessed with each other, and had been perfectly content living life as a double act for the past few years. Raquel eventually began to notice the tell tale signs that Paula needed a nap, she was rubbing her eyes and yawning more frequently, so with that she decided it was time to pack up and head home.

About ten minutes in to their walk back to the apartment, Paula began to drag her feet and slouch further towards the pavement. One hand was firmly in Raquel’s and the other held on tightly to bunny, but his ears were dragging on the ground as the little girl slumped further and further forward. Their pace was slow and Raquel wanted to pick her daughter up and carry her so they’d be home sooner, but she’d told Paula this morning that if she didn’t want her pushchair she’d have to walk the whole day. Although she’d caved to her daughter’s demands this morning, Raquel had made the terms very clear and would not under any circumstances carry her - Paula had to learn, and maybe next time she’d listen to her mama. Even so, Raquel could tell that a storm was brewing and a meltdown was imminent.

Right on cue, the waterworks started and Paula stopped walking, her hand dropping from Raquel’s as she looked up at her with a pout. 

“Mama, I tired. Carry?”

“No. I told you this morning, if you didn’t need your buggy and wanted to walk, then you would have to walk the _whole_ day.”

“But mama! Please”, she whined, fat tears falling down her rosy cheeks. 

“No, Paula. You have to learn. You wouldn’t listen to me this morning would you? Now, come on. The quicker you walk, the quicker we can get home for a nap.” 

Raquel reached down to take Paula’s hand in her own to continue the journey, but the little girl pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest, her expression stubborn and moody.

“No.”

Raquel let out an exasperated sigh of frustration and Sergio stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do to diffuse the situation arising before him. She was an angel the majority of the time, but she was tired now and getting pissed off - _she inherited that from Raquel_ , he thought to himself, fondly. 

“Excuse me? No?” Raquel questioned, her voice raising slightly. She didn’t put up with rudeness from Paula, that was not how she was raising her. 

But the girl didn’t say anything, she simply glared at her mother with a sour expression, shaking her head and showing a disgruntled pout and furrowed brow. 

“Paula, please. I won’t argue with you in the street. You wanted to be a big girl, so come on, be a big girl. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me and get in the pushchair.”

Paula still didn’t move, her feet were glued to the spot and Sergio couldn’t help but intervene.

“Erm, I don’t... I mean - I don’t mind carrying her, if you could take the rucksack”, he muttered quietly to Raquel - but not quietly enough it seemed. As soon as he said it, Paula’s head snapped up to look at him, a hopeful smile finally gracing her face.

Raquel shook her head resolutely. “No way. She has to learn.”

“Mama! Please!” Paula was screaming now, her tears falling in earnest.

Sergio looked between mother and daughter, biting his lip. He felt torn and didn’t want to step on Raquel’s toes, but Paula _had_ walked all day without complaining, and besides, she _was_ his daughter too - and truthfully, the thought of holding her and carrying her home was extremely enticing. 

Eventually Raquel threw her hands up in the air. “Fine. Just this once. But next time young lady, you won’t argue with me and will listen when I tell you to do things.”

Paula nodded solemnly as she looked up at her mother. “Promise, mama.”

“Mmm... your promises don’t seem to mean much”, she replied, rolling her eyes.

Sergio smiled and shrugged, handing the backpack to Raquel as he reached down to lift Paula into his waiting arms. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a heartwarming smile, and Sergio felt his heart pounding in his chest. Holding his daughter - her soft breath on his cheek - was quite possibly the greatest feeling of his life so far. He wanted to plant a delicate kiss on her face, but he wasn’t sure how she’d react, so he resisted the urge and squeezed her tighter to his warm body instead. 

“Paula, why don’t you give bunny to your mama, just incase you fall asleep and drop him. We wouldn’t want that would we?”

The girl nodded, reaching out to place her cuddly friend in her mothers hand, before settling again in Sergio’s embrace.

Before long, Paula’s eyes became heavy and the motion of being carried was lulling her to sleep, so Sergio very gently placed a hand on her nape and nudged her down to settle in the crook of his neck with her head on his shoulder, and within seconds she was fast asleep. Her hands were still wrapped around his neck, one of them gripping his hair tightly - even in sleep - and Sergio couldn’t resist the urge any more, so he slowly turned his head and planted a feather light kiss to her hair, stroking her back affectionately. 

Raquel smiled fondly at the two of them, wrapping her arm around his waist and letting her head rest on his other shoulder.

“You’re going to spoil her rotten aren’t you?”

He chuckled softly, “you bet I am - she’s just too cute to resist.”

“But, you’ll back me up with the hard stuff, right? She can’t always get her own way Sergio, otherwise we’ll be raising a monster.”

He laughed a little louder now, but still conscious of the sleeping Paula in his arms. 

“She could never be a monster - but yes, of course... I’ll always back you up Raquel, I want us to be a team.” 

Raquel’s smile widened and she reached up to kiss his cheek, before leaning around him to check on their daughter, who was still blissfully unaware and snoozing soundly. 

“I’m so happy she’s this comfortable with you. She’s never this open with new people normally, it takes her a few meetings to get her feeling this safe.”

He turned to her with a serious expression. “You think she’s comfortable and safe with me? Truly?”

She squeezed her grip on his waist, trying to reassure him. “Sergio, yes. If she wasn’t, she would have demanded me carry her, no matter how tired she was. She probably feels a connection to you - you are her father after all. You need to have more faith in yourself, you’re doing amazingly.”

He sighed in relief and closed his eyes momentarily. “I’m so glad she likes me Raquel, you have no idea. I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone this much and-“

“Oh, charming!” Raquel interrupted, laughing at him.

He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to her with an earnest expression on his face. “Except for you, of course.”

She smiled and stroked his cheek, “it’s okay, I’m only teasing you. It’s a different kind of love, and she is a special little girl.”

“She is”, he agreed, giving her a tender smile in return. “Thank you Raquel. This has been the most wonderful day of my life, just the three of us, together. To think, a week ago I didn’t even know she existed, now I can’t imagine not knowing her.”

“You don’t have to thank me Sergio, she’s yours just as much as she’s mine. I’m happy you’ve finally met her and it’s been such a success. I’m sure she’ll remember this day for a long time, all she’s done is smile and laugh.”

“And throw the odd temper tantrum”, he added with a crooked smile. 

“Well, yes. But that’s a regular occurrence at the moment, you’re lucky it didn’t end with a screaming fit as she laid on the floor.”

“Oh god - I don’t think that’s something I could handle just yet.”

“Sergio, you’d be surprised. There’s no handbook to this - you just, learn as you go. You’re already a great father, just follow your instincts and love her with all of your heart. You can’t go wrong if you do that.”

“That I can do, that I can easily do.”

He leaned down carefully to press a soft kiss to her lips, she tasted like vanilla ice cream and he was hungry for more, he hadn’t properly kissed her in hours, but it felt like it had been days. As he pulled away and looked in to her eyes, he saw the fire had been ignited deep within her soul and knew she felt the same. He gave her one last kiss and she hummed her approval, then he pulled away to grasp her hand, tugging her onwards in the direction of the apartment. As they walked along in fulfilled silence, the three of them close together and entwined, he knew there was nowhere else he’d rather be. 

Nowhere else at all.

....  
....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated and I will reply to each and every one of you x


	9. Too Good To Be True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When loved ones give their opinions, doubts are planted in Raquel's mind. What will happen to them and their future?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people, truly you’re the best fandom and your comments and love keep me going. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter - I'm sorry in advance.....

Raquel looked at her phone and frowned, before putting it down and looking at Sergio. 

“My sister has asked me to meet her for coffee today, she says it can’t wait. I’ll take Paula with me, will you be okay on your own for a bit?”

They were lingering close to each other on the sofa after breakfast, while Paula played on the floor in front of them, chattering quietly to herself and her toys. 

“Sure”, he said, his expression warm and reassuring. 

She lifted the phone to respond, “We’ll only be gone for an hour or so, I can bring us something in for dinner later. What do you fancy?”

He smiled at her before responding, “surprise me.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, you say that, but last night we had vegetables and chicken, and you _did not_ look impressed. 

He laughed. “Well, no, it wasn’t the greatest meal you’ve ever cooked. But honestly, bring home anything and I’ll eat it.”

“But no vegebles mama,” Paula interrupted, turning to look at the both of them, proving that she had been listening in on their conversation the entire time. 

Raquel shot her a look of surprise before smiling down at her, “hey you, no listening in on grown up conversations! But no, I promise no vegetables tonight, you were very good and ate lots last night, you made me very happy.”

After returning home from the beach and waking from her nap, Paula had stuck to her word and eaten vegetables with her dinner. She’d promised both Raquel and Sergio, and after already making her mama cross by being carried home, she hadn’t wanted to be told off again; so she’d sat patiently in her booster chair and eaten every last morsel that Raquel fed her, broccoli included.

“Did your sister say what she wants to talk to you about?” Sergio queried, reaching out to rub her knee affectionately.

“No... it’s all very ominous. It could be anything knowing Laura. I’ve been texting her all weekend and now she’s decided she needs to talk to me.”

“Well, it’ll be nice for the two of you to get out of the apartment for a while,” he said. 

“Yes, it will”, she said softly, looking down to make sure Paula was once again preoccupied and not listening in on them. She leant closer to Sergio before whispering, “it sounds so silly, as we’ll only be gone for an hour, but - well... I’ll miss you.” 

He pressed a chaste kiss against her lips, pulling back before Paula witnessed anything. “Raquel, I’ll miss you both too.”

….

“Paula honey, don’t throw your cake on the floor. Eat it nicely”, Raquel pleaded, brushing the hair out of her daughter’s face. 

They were sat in the local café waiting for Laura to arrive - she was always fashionably late - but when Raquel had Paula with her, her sister's unpunctuality was less than ideal. The toddler was at the age where she wanted to play and run around, not sit at a table for hours on end while adults talked, but she was always a good girl, listening to Raquel’s requests and being on her best behaviour - but eventually she’d tire of sitting still and want to be free. She’d already been bribed with a babycinno and a slice of cake, but she was quickly losing interest, dropping crumbs on the floor to entertain herself. 

Just as Raquel was about to text her sister, the door opened and in came Laura, looking positively flustered. 

“I'm _so_ sorry I’m late. My car was blocked in and then there was endless traffic, please don’t be mad!”

Raquel smiled warmly before leaning in to press a kiss to her sister's cheek, she could never stay mad at her for long. “It’s fine, don’t worry. You’re here now.”

“La La!” Paula yelled, reaching out with sticky fingers to grab her auntie’s face and give her a sloppy kiss. 

“Hi my little beauty, are you being a good girl for your mama?” Laura questioned, her brow raising in suspicion when she spotted the remnants of cake all over the floor. 

Paula smiled shyly before nodding, glancing at both adults who she knew could see right through her fibs. 

“No you are not...” Raquel chuckled, tickling at her daughter’s side, making her shriek with excitement. “You’re getting bored and causing a mess!”

“I sorry mama”, Paula whispered, reaching out to grab Raquel’s hand. She didn’t want her mama to be cross with her _again_.

“It’s alright sweetie, just make sure you eat the rest, okay?”

Paula settled back into her seat, munching on her treat as Laura took off her coat and sat down with them, ordering a coffee from a barista who passed by their table. 

“So how was the reunion?” Laura asked, smirking slightly. 

“It was better than I thought it would be, I’m happy I went.”

“And... you and Sergio... what’s happening there?”

Raquel widened her eyes, averting her gaze from her sister to look at her daughter, who was _of course_ watching and listening to them with piqued interest as she nibbled on her cake. 

“Laura - please”, Raquel snapped. “Not in front of her, she’s started listening to everything I say... and there are some things I don’t want her to know”, she added with a whisper. 

Laura nodded understandingly, before fiddling with her phone and placing it in front of the little girl. “Here you go baby, how about you watch some cartoons while mama and La La talk?”

Paula clapped her hands with glee, beaming up at her auntie. Watching cartoons was such a rare treat - she was _definitely_ happy to sit and do that whilst the grown ups talked.

When she was sure her daughter was preoccupied and no longer listening in, Raquel continued. 

“What do you mean what’s happening between me and Sergio? Why do we need to know right away?”

“Because you do Raquel, of course you do. This doesn’t just concern the two of you, there’s more involved now. _She’s_ involved now,” Laura added, gesturing with her head towards an oblivious Paula. 

Raquel glanced at her daughter with sad eyes, biting her lip. She knew her sister was right, Paula was the centre of her world and she couldn’t mess things up with Sergio again and hurt their daughter; she would never forgive herself if that happened. Her and Sergio hadn’t even discussed their feelings since they’d arrived back in Barcelona, they’d been living in a happy bubble just the three of them, acting like a family. But what were his intentions - he lived in New York, was he planning on returning there? Raquel honestly had no idea, and the realisation that all of this may have been too good to be true hit her like a ton of bricks. 

As if sensing her inner turmoil, Laura reached out to place a hand atop of Raquel’s. 

“Hey, don’t stress yourself out, I can see the cogs turning in your brain. But I really think the two of you need to figure this out before it goes too far and anyone gets hurt. Raquel, I don’t want you to get your heart broken again, but also... I don’t want anything bad to happen to this little girl right here. She might not understand everything, but Sergio has been with you both since you got back, and if he suddenly disappears again, she’s going to notice... she’s going to ask you questions.”

Raquel nodded, “she’s really comfortable around him already, she reaches out to him and laughs with him, it’s almost as if she knows who he is without realising it.”

“Exactly”, Laura whispered. “That’s amazing, I mean - he is her father after all. But if he’s not going to be here forever and is going to go back to his own home and his job, then the two of you need to figure it out and work out what your plan is going to be with Paula. She’ll realise soon enough that he’s her papa, you need to have the answers for when that happens, even if it’s a year from now.”

Raquel lowered her gaze, fiddling her fingers on the table in front of her. “You’re right, I know you’re right.”

“I know I am too, and I’m not saying it to hurt you... I’m saying it because I love you, I love you so much and I want you to be cautious. Just be sure this is the right thing, be sure this is really what you want before jumping back in. I know you still love him, mama filled me in and told me it was all a big misunderstanding... but - well... he hurt you all them years ago, whether he meant to or not. I just want you to really think about it and be sure, for both your sake and your daughter’s. You’re a hopeless romantic Raquel, but don’t get caught up in the fairytale... just be careful.”

Raquel couldn’t stop the tears from silently falling, so she turned her head to wipe them away before her daughter caught on that something was wrong. She took a deep breath and composed herself, before turning back to face her sister who was looking at her with a sad smile. 

“Yes, I know. She’s the most important thing here, so whatever happens, I won’t allow her to get caught in the middle of it. I won’t.”

Laura leaned forward to hold her fiddling hands tightly. “I know you won’t, you’re an amazing mother. If you need me to watch her while the two of you talk or anything, you know where I am, okay?”

Raquel nodded before squeezing her sister’s hands in gratitude. This wasn’t a conversation she was expecting to have with her when she arrived at the café, but she was glad it had been bought to her attention, her mother and sister were only looking out for her and Paula - and besides, they were completely right. Raquel let out a deep breath before turning to her daughter with a smile, reaching out and switching the phone off to signal that this conversation was over and they could move on to talk about happier things. As Laura and Paula chatted animatedly to one another, Raquel let her mind wander to Sergio, deep down and in the back of her mind she knew that tonight she would be having a difficult conversation with him... and she wasn’t sure whether she would survive the outcome. 

….

“We’re back!” Raquel called out as they arrived home an hour and a half later. “Sorry we were a bit longer than I said we’d be, Laura was running late.”

“No problem! I’ve been catching up on some work emails anyway”, came Sergio’s reply from the living room.

She unstrapped Paula from her buggy, lifting her out and letting her run down the hallway in the direction of his voice - no doubt making a beeline for her toy box. Raquel followed close behind, excited to be back with Sergio, but equally worried to talk to him after what she’d discussed with her sister. 

As she walked around the corner he came in to view, lifting himself from the sofa to greet her with a quick kiss, while Paula distracted herself with a wooden train on the floor. 

“Everything okay with Laura?”

She forced a tight smile before nodding and turning away - she couldn’t bring herself to look into his eyes and lie to his face. “Yes, all fine. I’ll tell you about it later once this little one has gone to bed.”

He pushed his glasses up his nose nervously. “ Are you... uh, a-are you sure you’re okay?”

She finally allowed herself to look at him, and the worry etched on his face made her feel instantly guilty for keeping him at arms length. He’d done nothing to deserve this reaction from her, nothing at all. 

“Quite sure. Once she’s in bed we can sit and talk in peace, I promise.”

He glanced down at Paula to make sure she wasn’t looking, and when he saw she wasn’t, he reached out to tug on Raquel’s hand and pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. 

“Okay, we can talk later”, he replied, thinking quickly as to how he could change the subject. “So... what did you bring in for dinner later?”

“Oh god! I completely forgot! I’ll go back out and get something”, she said, untangling from his arms to pull away. After her conversation with Laura, she’d lost track of her thoughts - she’d walked home in a daydream, thinking of nothing, _apart from the inevitable conversation she knew she’d be having with him later_. 

“No, no. Don’t be silly. It’s fine, we can just order in.”

She hesitated, maybe going back out for a while wouldn’t be so bad - she was struggling to be around him. She needed some time to collect her thoughts, and as much as she wanted to keep him at a distance until their discussion later, it was proving difficult when he was _so_ handsome and _so_ attentive to her. Eventually her heart won over and she stroked her fingers against his cheek, she couldn’t act like this with him, not after everything they’d been through together, so she simply said with a smile:

“Sounds good to me. I’m going to freshen up, can you watch Paula for a few minutes?”

“Of course”, he whispered. “Take your time.”

As she turned and walked in the direction of the bedroom, he watched her go with silent curiosity. Something had changed in her, she’d been fine this morning when she’d left, but now she was back, she seemed distant and almost upset. He wondered what she’d discussed with her sister, and as he sat back down on the sofa to gaze at his daughter playing so peacefully in front of him, he couldn’t help but think he’d find out later - only he wasn’t sure he’d like what she’d have to say.

….

She’d made sure to keep busy all afternoon, trying as much as possible to keep some distance between them, but without making him feel uncomfortable or out of place. She’d played with Paula, unpacked and washed the clothes from her trip, given her daughter a bath - with Sergio’s assistance as she simply couldn’t deny his twinkling eyes when he’d asked to help - ordered in Chinese takeout, and then eaten it sat on the living room floor in front of a movie; the three of them laughing at the silly snowman Olaf as they ate. 

Now she was sat in the rocking chair with her darling girl cuddled up in her lap - the way she liked to end every single day. 

They rocked back and forth underneath a blanket, gazing at the stars projected on the ceiling as Paula clutched on tightly to Raquel, the latter whispering softly in to her daughter’s hair, pressing soft kisses there every now and then.

“Look at the big cluster of stars over there in the corner my love”, she whispered, lifting a hand to point and waiting for Paula’s eyes to follow.

The little girl hummed in response and blinked with heavy eyes, alternating her sleepy gaze between the stars on the ceiling and her mama’s pretty, brown eyes. 

Raquel looked down at her daughter and smiled, blinking back tears, _she loved her more than anything_. She knew that once she left this room and returned to Sergio, they would have to talk and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. She hugged the little girl tighter to her chest, breathing her in - no matter what happened, she’d always have her. She reminded herself that Paula was the most important thing here - to both her and Sergio - and no matter the result of their conversation, she would remain the centre of both of their worlds and they would never, ever let her get hurt.

“Oh my sweet girl, mama loves you so much. Do you know how much mama loves you?” Raquel whispered, her voice cracking as she asked. 

Paula cuddled in closer, reaching out a hand to tangle it in her mama’s hair - playing with hair was a telltale sign that she was on the verge of sleep, it made her so very relaxed. 

“Yes mama, love you.”

Hearing her daughter mutter them words were what opened the floodgates and Raquel couldn’t stop the tears from falling. No matter what, she’d always have her daughter’s love to comfort her at the end of the day, _no matter what_. 

Paula fell asleep soon after but Raquel continued rocking. The sound of her baby girl’s delicate breathing calmed her, and watching her beautiful face twitch in sleep was making her feel infinitely better - besides, she didn’t feel ready to face Sergio just yet, she wanted to stay here, warm and safe with her daughter dozing peacefully in her arms. 

She had no idea how much time had passed, but when Sergio poked his head around the door to check on the pair of them, she knew she should put her daughter to bed and go with him. He gave her a soft look, his heart stopping at the domesticated picture before him - this was the second night he’d witnessed the pair of them rocking in the chair before bed, and he still thought it was the most beautiful sight. They both looked so happy and calm and he didn’t like to disturb them, last night he’d let them be and waited for Raquel to come back out, but tonight she’d been in with Paula for over an hour, and since she was acting a bit off with him, he thought it best to go and check on her.

“Is she asleep?”

Raquel nodded, her gaze still settled on her daughter’s sleeping face.

“Are you coming out? You’ve been in here for a long time, I wanted to see if you were okay”, he murmured, so quietly she almost couldn’t hear him.

“I’m coming, yes. I just couldn’t bring myself to put her down yet... I was thinking”, she replied softly. 

“Thinking about what?” Sergio dared to ask, but he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer. 

But she didn’t reply and simply rose from the rocking chair instead, clutching Paula tight to her chest as she manoeuvred her down into her bed. She pulled the covers up and tucked her in with with her bunny, stroking the hair away from her face and pressing a kiss to her powdery cheek. 

“Goodnight baby girl”, she whispered, before turning on her heel and walking towards the door. 

Sergio moved aside as she exited the room, watching her as she stepped past him and made her way towards the kitchen. He followed her nervously for a few steps before blurting out:

“Raquel, what is happening here? Have I done something wrong?”

She stopped walking, letting out a sigh of defeat and slumping her shoulders forward, her gaze lowering to the floor. 

He approached her, moving in front to lift her chin up so he could look into her eyes. 

“What is it? Please, talk to me... you’ve been so distant all afternoon. I can’t bear it anymore.”

She smiled sadly at him. Of course he knew something was wrong with her, she’d tried to keep it hidden from him, but he still knew her better than anyone, even after all these years. 

Intertwining their fingers she pulled him in the direction of the couch, settling down next to him and clutching his hands in her lap. She wasn’t sure whether to hold on to him or maintain some distance, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go of him, his touch was a pillar of strength - strength that she needed to make it through this conversation. 

She took a deep, unsteady breath, looking down at their hands squeezed together, tightly. 

“I think we need to talk about us - well, actually... about this”, she started, her voice shaking.

He swallowed nervously, not saying anything as he waited with bated breath for her to continue. 

“The thing is... Laura thinks we should be careful here. She said we need to think about this properly before jumping back in and whether it's the right thing to do... and, well - I have to agree with her.”

“You agree with her?” Sergio replied quietly, his heart shattering.

“Yes, I do. She reminded me that Paula’s the most important thing here... not that I should need reminding - and we need to put her first, before whatever we are feeling. That’s right, no?”

“Well, yes, of course. She’s the most important thing here and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, but that doesn't mean we can’t think of ourselves too, or do what makes us happy.”

She smiled sadly, letting go of his hands to run hers over her face in exasperation.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t think about us and what we want... b-but Sergio, maybe she’s right. Maybe too much has happened between us to ever go back to what we were, and if that’s the case... I’d rather stop this now before anyone of us gets hurt, Paula included.”

He watched her with a pained look on his face - how could she be saying this to him, after all they’d been through in the last few days?

“If you truly want to put a stop to this, then I won’t stand in your way. But, will you let me say a few things before you make your decision?”

She nodded, anguish and sadness in every line of her face.

“Raquel, these past few days with you and Paula have been beyond anything I could have ever possibly imagined. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you in Madrid, but you were there and you came blazing back in to my life like a flame that had never been truly extinguished... and not only did I reunite with you, I discovered I had a daughter, and _oh my god_ , she’s just incredible. She’s the most amazing ball of energy and I didn’t really know how it would feel to be around her at first, but...” 

He took a deep breath before continuing on:

“For so long, a part of me has been missing, that part of me was always you - it left when you left. But now that I’ve met Paula, now that I know her, I realise it was her as well - she was the thing that was missing too... it was always both of you. The two of you mean everything to me, and after the last couple of days I know with certainty, that I don’t ever want to be without you. I’ve always loved you Raquel, I’ve always wanted you, but we were young and other people got in the way, but this is our second chance at happiness... don’t tell me you want to throw away this second chance. I know we-“

“But you did hurt me, Sergio”, she interrupted him. “Whether you meant to or not, you broke my heart all them years ago by not believing me or ever coming after me. I’ve been putting that to the back of my mind, but I was broken back then and it took me years to recover - what if that happens again but it affects Paula too this time?”

He frowned at her. “I know I hurt you, but I was stupid... _we_ were stupid. There are so many things I should have done, there are so many things you should have done too. You kept that little girl a secret _for years_ , but I forgive you for that Raquel, I forgive you because... I love you... I still love you, so much. More than anything.”

She gasped softly. Of course they still loved each other - that much was obvious - but they hadn’t said it since they’d been reunited, they hadn’t said it to each other in years. It made everything real, it made them both vulnerable to their true feelings for one another, it’s exactly the reason they hadn’t said it yet. 

He continued on as he stared into her eyes, his voice cracking with emotion. “I am so in love with you Raquel, with every fibre of my being. I love you and I love our daughter, and I want nothing more than for her to know who I am and for the three of us be a family. But if you really want to put a stop to this we can, we can part as friends and come to an agreement about Paula, we can co-parent her or whatever it is that you want. I only want you to be happy, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

There was a short pause, before she asked: 

“What about your job, what about New York?”

He raised a brow. “What about it?”

“Will you move back there? Will this be long distance? Are _you_ going to move here? Are you expecting _us_ to up and move there? There are so many questions Sergio!”

He shrugged before giving her a shy smile. “Do you know why I moved to New York all them years ago?”

She shook her head - she’d never dared to ask. 

“I moved to New York because it was always your dream to become a lawyer and live there.”

She rolled her eyes, giving him a tentative smile. “So you moved to New York because you wanted to make me jealous...”

He chuckled softly. “No, Raquel. I moved there... because I hoped you would come and find me.”

She gave him a shocked look, her eyes widening in surprise. “What?”

“Well I knew you wanted to work within law, so when we broke up and you left, a part of me prayed you would become this big time lawyer and move to New York like you always planned. I had this vision that you’d be walking down the street one day and we’d run into each other and be reunited. I moved to New York and I settled there - because deep down I was waiting for you. I’ve always been waiting for you.”

She couldn’t believe what he was saying. She had no idea that was why he’d moved there, she’d never even contemplated that _that_ was the reason. _He was waiting for her_. 

“You moved there to wait for me?”

He nodded. “I did. Every day I looked out for you, everywhere I went I kept my eyes peeled, but you never came. Obviously now I know you were pregnant and never became a lawyer, you came back to Barcelona to have Paula - and had I known that I would have jumped on the first plane here to be with you both. But yes... that’s the reason.”

She wanted to reach out and hold him, he was beyond amazing and she loved him like crazy, but it still didn’t answer her questions - it still didn't ease her worries and trepidations completely. 

“So what are you planning on doing? Are you wanting to go back to New York?”

He suddenly looked uncomfortable, but he had to be honest with her. “Well, uh... I-I do love it there, it’s an amazing city and I know you’d love it too. But I meant what I said, I want to be with you both - so if that means I have to move here, t-then so be it.”

“But, I don’t want you to move here just because that’s what I want... that would drive you mad, and you’d come to resent me eventually.”

He shook his head vehemently. “No, I wouldn’t. I could never, ever resent you. Besides, I do like it here in Barcelona.”

Her expression remained sober. “But still, Sergio, if you love New York and that’s where your career is, I don’t want you to _have_ to move here because of me.”

He smiled and reached out to put a hand on her arm. “But I want to be wherever you two are, _because_ of you. I’ll do whatever I can for us to be a family... i-if that’s what you want, of course.”

“Of course that’s what I want... if it's possible”, she whispered. “It’s just a lot to factor in and I want us to figure this out now. Because if this isn’t going to work, we need to put a stop to it before Paula becomes too accustomed to the three of us being together.”

He nodded, retracting his hand from where it rested on her arm. He still hadn’t convinced her and he didn’t want to make her feel pressured - she needed to come to the decision on her own. Still, he dared to ask his next question:

“Would you ever consider moving to New York with me? There are lots of graphic design companies out there, you could definitely get a job. We could have an amazing life there.”

She considered him for a long moment. _Would she ever move to New York_? There was nothing really stopping her of course, and he was right, she could easily get a job out there; but her life was here. She loved Barcelona, she loved her mother and her sister, would she really be able to move to the other side of the world and be so far away from them?

“No, I don’t think I would. My life is here... Paula’s life is here.”

“But why can’t your life be there? You always dreamed of living there one day.”

She looked at him. “It was my dream because I thought I’d become a lawyer, Sergio - but I’m not. I’m a mother and I work in a completely different field now. I ended up having a baby and my dreams changed, my priorities changed! I can’t just up and move to the other side of the world because you’re back in my life, that’s such a big ask of someone.”

“But you’re asking me to move to here? My life and career is in New York - is it not a big thing to ask of me too?”

“I’m not asking you to move here.”

Hurt flashed across his face, her words had struck him unexpectedly deeply. 

“You’re right. You’re not asking me to move here. You’re looking for an excuse for this to not work.”

She gazed at him, but he refused to meet her eyes.

“It’s very clear you don’t want us to give it another go, Raquel. It’s apparent that I can’t convince you.”

“It’s not that Sergio, it’s just that... we can’t even agree on this - and it’s such a huge thing? How can this work if we can’t even agree on where to live and raise our daughter?”

“But you’re not even trying to consider it? I’m telling you that I’m in love with you and that I’ll follow you both wherever you go, but you’re completely dismissing the idea of being wherever I am? I’m just expected to up and move here, I’m the one expected to make changes to _my_ life... and I’m happy to do that for the both of you, but you’re not even trying, Raquel. But like you say - you’re not asking me to move here anyway, so this conversation is pointless. You’ve made your decision.”

He got up from the sofa, walking quickly towards the hallway when she called out to him, rising to her feet:

“Sergio, wait... the fact of the matter is that I don’t want to move to New York and I don’t want you to move here, not when you so clearly love your job and your life over there... it wouldn’t be fair to you. So, yes - the fairytale of the last few days is over, and I think it’s best to stop this now before we get too invested.”

He stood in the doorway, facing away from her - he couldn’t bear to look at her, not when she was being so cruel. Still she continued on:

“I’m not saying all of this to hurt you. I’m saying this as a parent who’s main priority is her child, and I know you feel the same.”

He scoffed sarcastically, still facing the opposite direction. “That’s where you’re wrong, Raquel. I don’t feel the same. I’d do whatever I needed to do to be with you - without ever hurting Paula. But, I suppose I’m being genuine with my feelings and you aren’t.”

“Now wait just a second - I am being genuine with my feelings, I’m telling you exactly how I feel!”

He turned to look at her now, his eyes cold and distant. “You’re being genuine with your feelings are you? You’re telling the truth? You really want to put an end to you and me, before we’ve even had a chance to try?”

She nodded, swallowing her nerves. He was seeing right through her. 

“Well if that’s the truth about how you feel, then you’re a fucking good liar. You could have fooled me these past few days.”

His eyes bore into hers as he slowly walked back in to the room, stopping inches away from her. 

“I’ll tell you what’s happened here. Your sister has told you how she feels and it’s put doubt in your mind. I know Paula is the most important thing here, Raquel - of course she is, do you not think I know that? But I meant it when I told you I’d never hurt her, I’d never hurt either of you again. But you’re listening to your sister, you’re believing her rather than following your heart. You’re listening to someone else and making out their thoughts are your own.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes before glaring at him. 

“Well, you’d know all about believing other people wouldn’t you”, she spat out. 

He cocked his head to the side, looking at her intently. “That’s what we’re doing is it? Throwing things in each other’s faces?”

She said nothing, just simply stared deep into his eyes, her gaze furious. 

“Well if that’s the case, I can do you one better. I have a daughter in that room that I didn’t know existed, because you were too selfish to ever reach out to me. Who the fuck writes a letter? I missed out on the first few years of her life... because of you.”

She stepped backwards away from him, her eyes widening in shock and her breath catching in her throat. It was a low blow and she knew he felt bad for saying it immediately, his eyes softened as soon as the words left his mouth - he’d spoken in spite and to hurt her just as she was hurting him. But still, she couldn't believe he'd stooped so low as to say that to her - his words were like a slap to the face.

He reached out to touch her. “Raquel...”

She pulled away quickly, his touch burning her skin. “Get the _fuck_ off me.”

They stood silently, neither of them looking at each other, neither of them sure on what to do next. After a few long moments, he broke the quiet and tense atmosphere. 

“It’s late and I doubt I’ll get a hotel anywhere now. If it’s okay... I’ll - uh... I’ll stay the night. But first thing tomorrow I’ll get out of your hair, and then I’ll be in touch to sort out an arrangement regarding Paula. I still want her to get to know me, I still want to be a part of her life.”

She hummed her agreement, of course she wasn’t going to deprive him of his daughter - as angry and hurt as she was, she’d never, ever do that to him. 

He waited, and waited - hoping she would come back to him, hoping she would say something or change her mind. But she said nothing. He watched her, silently willing her to look into his eyes and see how sorry he was for lashing out - to see how much this was killing him and how much he loved her. _Oh, how he loved her._

She cleared her throat before speaking again, a long while later. “I’ll sleep on the couch. You can take the bed.”

“Raquel, no, don’t be silly. The bed is big enough for the both of us, we are adults here. You can’t sleep on the couch, it’s no way near long enough for either of us to get a decent nights sleep.” 

She nodded, he was right, it was far too small, plus her bed was enormous - a factor she was immensely grateful for, seeing as they’d have to sleep together after a row as bitter and final as this. 

He watched her with sad eyes, and finally she looked up at him, her expression as equally broken. Why were they doing this to each other? So much had happened over the years and she was clearly still hurting and scared, but he wanted to resolve it. He wanted to be with her more than anything - but he knew her, she was stubborn and she had come to her final decision. 

He turned and walked away, moving slowly down the hallway towards the bedroom, his heart breaking more and more with each step he took, he felt utterly defeated. He’d been living in a dream with her and their little girl for the past few days, and he’d known it was all too good to be true, he’d just prayed to be wrong and ignored the persistent nagging in his mind. 

As he reached the bedroom door, he stopped and turned around to watch her, she was wiping tears from her cheeks and staring into the distance. If she’d changed her mind, she would have called out to him by now, or followed him to the bedroom - but she hadn’t. No, she was set in her decision and Sergio realised he needed to make peace with the situation. Why, then, he thought to himself, did he feel like she was lying to herself and giving up on them without even trying? Would he ever be able to convince her to give them a second chance?

....

....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be mad! It had to be done!  
> There is no way they would be able to carry on as if nothing had ever happened between them, they are both obviously still healing and have a lot of worries and trepedations to work through. 
> 
> Let's hope they can figure it all out. 😉
> 
> Kudos and comments keep me going x


	10. Sorrow and Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following on immediately from the previous chapter and moving in to the morning after.  
> Can our favourite couple work past this bump in the road, or are they both so stubborn as to tear their new family unit apart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back!! I hope you are still with me and enjoying the story.  
> Firstly, I’m so sorry this has taken so long to update! Work has been crazy busy and it’s been a real struggle to find the time to write.  
> Anyway.. Here’s the next instalment you lovely lot - remember it’s baby steps… and only time will tell what the future holds for these two.

….

Sergio was restless. How was he supposed to sleep with her next to him?... Especially when they weren’t speaking and had ended the night on such awful terms.

He’d wanted more than anything to pack and leave immediately, but he knew he wouldn’t get a hotel at such late notice, and besides, he wanted to see Paula one last time before leaving - god knows when he’d get the chance to be with her again. 

So instead of leaving, he’d climbed in to bed, being sure to lay on his side facing away from the door - he didn’t want to have to look at her when she decided to come to bed herself. He had willed himself to fall asleep so he wouldn’t have to see her, but he’d had no such luck.... he’d remained wide awake, his brain working overtime. 

When Raquel finally came in to the bedroom half an hour later, he’d laid as still as a log, hoping she’d think him asleep and not attempt to rouse him. He needn’t have worried, for she had simply crawled in to the bed, turned away from him and fallen asleep within minutes, her shallow breathing indicating she was in a deep sleep almost instantly. 

But Sergio could not sleep... no matter how hard he tried. 

He lifted his head to look at his watch on the bedside table - two o’clock in the morning... he’d been laying in bed for _hours_. He closed his eyes again, if he couldn’t sleep he could at least try and relax. 

The apartment was silent and still, all he could hear was the faint ticking of his watch and Raquel’s dainty exhales as she slept peacefully next to him, when suddenly-

_Yes_ , there was definitely the gentle pitter patter of feet coming into the bedroom. 

_Paula._

He remained still. He knew she’d call out for Raquel, and he didn’t want either of them to know he was awake - the situation would be entirely too uncomfortable and awkward... 

“Mama”, came Paula’s quiet whisper. 

_Silence._

“Mamaaaa”, she whined again - her voice slightly louder and more impatient this time. 

Still, silence. 

Sergio knew Raquel could be a deep sleeper, when they’d dated years ago he’d struggled to wake her on many occasions, but he assumed that would no longer be the case - _she did have a child after all_. However, today had been an awful day, and he imagined she was completely drained and mentally exhausted by it, so he understood why she wasn’t waking, he understood completely.

Paula however, _did not_. 

He could hear his daughter gently shuffling about on the wooden floor, desperate for her mama to wake up and give her a cuddle. The king size bed was exceptionally big, and he knew there was no way she would be able to climb up by herself, she’d definitely need some assistance. But still he remained completely quiet, he knew that if he lifted the girl onto the bed, Raquel would wake up and he’d have to talk to her - and the thought of that was unbearable.

_No_ , Raquel would wake eventually and she could deal with Paula. Or failing that, the little girl would grow impatient and go back to her bedroom by herself. 

Almost as if reading his mind, he heard her tiny feet padding away. He waited with bated breath for her to leave the room, until he realised she was walking around to his side of the bed instead - she was going to try and wake _him_.

He closed his eyes quickly, pretending he was asleep - maybe if she could see that mama’s ‘friend’ was sleeping, she wouldn’t bother. 

_No such luck._

“Hello”, she whispered, her voice mere inches from his face. 

He remained still, his eyes tightly squeezed shut. 

“Awake?” Paula asked, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. _Why was no-one waking to give her a cuddle_?

He felt so incredibly guilty for pretending, but he couldn’t acknowledge her, he didn’t want to wake Raquel, he didn’t want to have to face her. 

“Please”, came a little whimper, and he could hear that she was crying now - completely distraught that she couldn’t wake anybody up. 

The sound of the little girl sobbing quietly was what broke him. He opened his eyes, looking straight at her beautiful face, her eyes puffy from sleep and the silvery light of the moon illuminating her rosy cheeks that glistened with tears. 

As soon as she saw he was awake, she broke in to a delighted grin and hopped about happily, _so_ relieved that someone had woken up at last. 

“Up”, she demanded, before rubbing at her eyes. 

He smiled softly at her, _his darling girl_ \- before sitting up and lifting her onto the bed, setting her soundly in the middle. 

She snuggled deeper under the cover until just her head was poking out, and let out a satisfied, deep breath. This was _just_ what she wanted. 

He laid on his side to face her, staring dreamily as she fiddled with her bunny, trying to get comfortable in the big bed. 

“Go back to sleep then”, he whispered. “No fidgeting, we don’t want to wake mama.”

She turned her head to look at him, smiling sleepily and nodding. “Okay”, she murmured in reply. 

He watched as she closed her eyes, fascinated by her - she was _so very_ special, and it shattered his heart to think that tomorrow morning he would be leaving, he wouldn’t be spending the whole day with her. The thought of it filled him with sadness. 

He reached out to push a strand of hair away from her face, and as he did so, she opened her eyes and looked at him. He smiled warmly, before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her chubby cheek. 

“Night night, Paula.”

In response, she lifted her arms from under the cover and reached out towards him - he wondered if she wanted a cuddle... from him.

Slowly he rolled on to his back and opened his arms, and without hesitation she wriggled towards him and in to his embrace - he thought his heart would explode any second at the sheer bliss of it. She shifted about until she found a comfortable position, her head tucked in the crook of his shoulder with her arm thrown around his neck, playing with the curls of hair at his nape. He knew that this was what Paula did when she was tired, but she only did it with people she was comfortable around - so the fact she was doing it to him was an amazing feeling.

Sergio hugged her a little tighter, pulling her firmly onto his chest where she settled a lot more comfortably; letting out a sigh as she finally drifted back off to sleep. Her hand still clutched at his hair, while the other held on to bunny, and Sergio felt _so_ beyond satisfied - if this was his last night with her for a while, then he was going to spend it with her sleeping soundly in his arms. He craned his neck to look towards Raquel, her back still facing him, and he wished he could reach out and pull her close too, he wanted nothing more than to hold both of them in his arms - but he knew that was impossible now. 

He let out a long exhale, turning his head to look back down at his sleeping daughter. Having her weight on his chest, listening to her steady breathing, and feeling her soft breath on his neck filled him with utter contentment and an unbreakable warmth. 

As the minutes ticked by, he could feel himself relaxing and growing more tired, and it wasn’t long before he was asleep too. 

That night he dreamt only of the three of them, and for the next few hours everything was okay in his world. All of his worries slipped away as he was filled with a sense of perfect rightness, he was _just_ where he needed to be.

….

The birds chirping outside the window were what woke her from a peaceful slumber; Raquel had slept all night, but she _did not_ feel well rested. 

Her head felt heavy and her mind was aching - then she remembered why. Memories of the night before came flooding back, filling her with immediate devastation and regret.

She opened her eyes, blinking against the sunlight that was making its way through the gap in the curtains - _she really needed to remember to close them properly in the evenings_. Laying as still as she could, she listened intently, trying to gauge whether Sergio was stirring or already awake; but after a few moments, she could tell by his breathing that he was definitely still asleep. 

Rolling onto her back as gently as she could manage, she turned her head to take a peek at him, and her heart constricted at the sight before her. There, sleeping beside her was Sergio, but he wasn’t alone, laying peacefully on his chest was her baby girl - the pair of them completely entwined, arms wrapped around each other as they slept soundly. They both had the exact same expression as they slept, mouths parted slightly, eyebrows furrowed, and the sight made her want to cry - they were the spitting image of each other. 

She watched them for a short while, her heart racing - _why again had she decided it best for them to not be a family_?

Slipping out from underneath the cover, she wrapped her dressing gown around her, tiptoeing out of the bedroom as quietly as she could possibly manage so as to not wake them. She needed to get out of the room - it was too painful to watch the two of them cuddled up together, especially after the way they had treated each other last night - they’d both been so cruel to one another in the end, and she needed some time alone. All she’d wanted for the past three years was to see the two of them snuggled together in bed as they slept next to her, but now, it was all too much and a painful reminder of what she’d said last night. She needed some time to think. 

….

His lower back was aching, so he shifted slightly to ease the dull throbbing. Then he remembered why there was a persistent ache - _Paula_.

He’d fallen asleep with her laying on his chest, and he hadn’t moved all night, he hadn’t wanted to disturb her or make her wake up and slip off of him in search of Raquel. So he’d laid as still as a log, clinging on to his baby girl as if his life depended on it. 

Opening his eyes, he looked down at her beautiful, sleeping face. Her lips were puckered and a flyaway strand of hair had fallen over her eyes - just as it always did when she slept, he thought fondly. He stared at her for a few minutes, marvelling at her magnificence; but, as if sensing she was being watched, Paula opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep and looking up at him with a hazy expression - Sergio thought her utter perfection in the mornings, he’d never get enough of her. 

“Good morning,”, he whispered with a smile. 

She smiled lazily up at him, but still did not attempt to move or lift her head from where it rested on his chest. Sergio finally understood what Raquel had meant when she said their daughter was like a baby sloth in the mornings. He was certain that if he had wanted to stay in bed for the entire morning and not move, the little girl would have been happy to lay there right alongside him, unmoving from her comfortable position on his chest, lounging peacefully, dozing with her bunny - wrapped carefully in his arms. She was very much her mother’s daughter when it came to her sleeping habits - she loved her bed and it took her a long time to wake up in the morning, _he was learning this about her very quickly_.

He knew he should get up, he knew Raquel would be waiting in the kitchen to give Paula her breakfast, she’d be waiting for him to pack his bags and leave; but he wasn’t ready to part from Paula just yet, he wasn’t ready to burst the sleepy bubble they were currently living in - and she didn’t seem in a rush to move off of him either. 

_No_ , he thought to himself. Not yet. Five minutes more wouldn’t hurt anyone. 

_Just five more minutes with you._

….

Hushed whispers were coming from the bedroom, drifting down the hallway to where she was sitting on the couch, waiting for them with a steaming mug of coffee perched in her hands. She couldn’t make out what they were saying to one another, but she could hear the low rumble of Sergio’s questions, followed by Paula’s raspy morning voice, quietly replying to him.

Less than a minute later they walked into the living room. He was carrying their daughter in his arms, with her head nestled under his chin and one arm wrapped tightly around his neck, her other hand rubbed at her tired eyes that were still half lidded with sleep. She looked at her mama with her usual morning frown, and Raquel smiled fondly - her daughter was _not_ a morning person if she did not wake of her own accord, and it was very clear that Paula was still waking up from a perfect nights sleep. 

“Hello my darling”, Raquel said cheerily, with eyes only for the little girl. She couldn’t look at _him_ \- not yet, anyway. 

Without fail, Paula broke in to a coy grin, burrowing her face further into Sergio’s neck - she was always happy to see her mama in the morning, she always had a smile for her eventually. 

The tension in the room was growing thicker by the second, so Raquel decided to look at him, the pair of them making eye contact for the first time since their heated war or words last night. 

He looked deep in to her eyes, and he saw nothing but sorrow and pain, he knew that the same feelings would be reflected in his - he just hoped she’d be able to see. _Please notice our shared pain, please know how deeply I love you_ , he willed silently. 

She broke the silence, breaking their intense stare to look back at their sleepy daughter before saying:

“She came to you last night I see.”

He rocked Paula in his arms for a few seconds before replying. “Well, she tried to wake you first, but you were in such a deep sleep that she then _had_ to settle for me.”

She laughed softly, the awkwardness between them easing slightly. 

Sergio bent down, setting Paula on to the floor next to him. He expected her to walk towards Raquel for a cuddle, but instead she turned to look up at him and stretched onto her tiptoes to reach for his hand, clutching tightly at his fingers - she wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. 

Raquel’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the pair of them standing in the doorway together. The man she’d loved for so many years and her sweet girl, who looked so incredibly tiny stood next to Sergio. She felt like crying, and could feel the unshed tears burning in the back of her throat - how could she separate her baby from the man she clearly adored so much already? Looking at her little face, Raquel could tell Paula felt safe and comfortable with him. Her heart was shattering into tiny fragments at the thought of breaking the two of them up - she suddenly realised with startling clarity that she didn’t think she could let him leave after all. 

Before anyone could say anything, Paula began to tug on his hand, pulling him towards the kitchen in order to have some breakfast. Sergio lifted his head to look at Raquel questioningly, and she simply smiled and nodded at him in encouragement. He looked back down at his daughter and the pair of them walked into the kitchen hand in hand, Paula not letting go of him - not for a single second. Raquel watched them with utter adoration from where she sat on the couch, the little girl was absolutely besotted with him, staring up at him intently as he moved around still clinging to her hand, setting a bowl on the table and filling it with cereal for her - all the while never letting go of her tiny fingers. 

Sergio bent down and lifted her up and into her booster seat, giving her a spoon and pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head. 

“Eat your breakfast then”, he said, before standing up straight and moving away from her. 

“No! You stay... please”, she said loudly, before smiling shyly at him. 

He looked over his shoulder at Raquel who was still seated on the couch, watching their every move. She raised her eyebrows at him and shrugged, unsure as to why her daughter was being so clingy, but encouraging him silently to stay with her if that’s what he wanted to do. 

He turned back towards the little girl who was staring up at him with wide eyes, before pulling out the chair next to her and settling into it, raising a hand to tuck her messy hair behind her ear.

“I’m right here”, he whispered. “Now eat up.”

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to leave her side, Paula began to tuck in to her breakfast, humming happily to herself whilst she ate. 

After a minute and before any awkward silences could fill the air, Raquel rose to her feet and wandered into the kitchen to join them. She busied herself by making more coffee, not only for her but for Sergio as well, and he thanked her as she set his mug down in front of him, before she took a seat on the opposite side of the table. 

“Did you sleep well, mi amor?” Raquel asked her daughter after a moment or two. 

Paula nodded at her mother, smiling widely and glancing up at Sergio with heart filled eyes. 

He cleared his throat before speaking. “You slept like such a good girl, you didn’t wake up again did you?”

“Mmhmm. I did mama, was a good girl’, she nodded in agreement, completely proud of herself and the compliment she was receiving. 

Raquel chuckled, shifting her gaze from her daughter to Sergio, only to find that he was already staring at her, waiting for her to look in to his eager eyes. 

“Raquel, I-“, he started, at the exact same moment she began to speak also. 

“Sergio-“.

They both laughed softly, the tension between them disappearing even further. 

“You go”, he said quietly. 

She nodded, swallowing down her nerves and looking back towards Paula to see if she was watching the two adults. Luckily she wasn’t, the girl was far too interested in her food to care about their conversation. 

“I text my sister this morning”, she began, looking up and into his curious gaze once more. 

He nodded slowly, nudging his glasses up his nose in apprehension. 

“I’ve asked her to come and take Paula out for a while”, she continued. “I think the two of us need to talk properly, no arguing this time - without little ears around to listen in or interrupt us.”

She watched his expression change from fear to wonder, and she saw a glimmer of longing flash within his eyes, but she didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet. Who knew if they’d be able to work their way back from this, they had a long way to go yet; so she simply smiled softly at him, hoping he could see the genuine warmth in her eyes now that the pair of them had been able to sleep on their feelings.

He nodded - just once, before replying:

“Okay. Talking sounds good, yes.”

She lifted her mug and took a sip, smiling into it as she looked at the genuine abashment written all over his features. She allowed herself to look at his handsome face for a few seconds longer, before turning her attention back to Paula - who was still minding her own business and munching on the remnants of her cereal. 

“Auntie La La is going to come and take you out for a bit this morning sweetheart, won’t that be fun?” Raquel asked her daughter. 

“La La! Yes!” Paula cheered, her eyes glimmering with excitement as she jigged happily in her seat - she always had _such_ fun with her aunt.

Raquel smiled. “Shall we go and get you dressed then? She’ll be here to pick you up soon.”

The little girl nodded eagerly, before shimmying her way down from her booster chair and running to Raquel’s side. She reached out a hand for her mama, trying with all her might to pull her up and away from the table so they could go and get ready.

“Hey... I don’t think so miss”, Raquel interrupted, reaching out and lifting her daughter up and onto her lap. “You haven’t given me a single kiss or cuddle this morning, so we aren’t going to get ready until you do.”

Paula giggled, before grabbing Raquel’s face and pressing a big, sloppy kiss on her lips. She shifted slightly and wrapped her little arms around her neck, pulling her close and closing her eyes in satisfaction at her mama’s warm embrace. 

Raquel squeezed her against her body, breathing in the scent of her baby girl as she whispered, “that’s more like it, a cuddle from my best girl to start my day.”

Sergio watched the pair of them with a gentle smile on his face, utterly obsessed with the special bond they shared. Watching them entwined in each other’s arms, eyes closed and completely at peace, filled him with such a feeling of rightness that he didn’t think anything else could ever rival it. He could watch them all day, he never wanted to be apart from them, and he hoped - _he prayed_ \- that Raquel had finally come to her senses and felt the same way about him.

After a long dose of cuddles, the mother and daughter duo parted and Raquel stood up from the table, lifting Paula into her arms and holding her close once more. The pair of them looked down at Sergio who was still watching them with quiet curiosity and adoration. A faint blush coloured his cheeks when he realised they had seen him staring, so he averted his gaze to his hands and began fiddling anxiously with his fingers. Raquel couldn’t help but smile at how embarrassed he seemed to have been caught out, but she found it endearing - he was clearly infatuated with watching them and it made her feel a sudden yearning for him, filling her with hopefulness. 

She continued to smile down at him, and eventually he looked back up and into her eyes, noticing the warmth that lingered in her expression. 

“Sergio, would you mind sorting her bag while I get her ready? Laura will be here in half an hour.”

He nudged his glasses back up his nose before nodding - _shit, he was so nervous to be alone with her again_ , he urged himself to pull it together and to stop acting so awkward.

“Thank you. Could you prep some snacks for her too, some carrot sticks and a banana, maybe?”

“Yes - of course, leave it with me”, he replied. He rose out of his seat and moved quickly towards the fridge. 

Raquel and Paula smiled at him with thanks, and he wished more than anything that he could take a photo of them, he wanted to remember the image before him for the rest of his life. The pair of them standing in the doorway smiling, their temples pressed firmly together, Paula’s arms wrapped around Raquel’s neck and twiddling with her hair, Raquel enveloping their daughter in a cosy hug and stroking her back softly - the two of them asking him to help prepare for their day, trusting him to contribute to their morning routine, a routine they had established without him years ago. He felt a sudden wave of optimism that they could work through this, that they could be a family, and as Raquel turned and walked out of the room with Paula, he allowed himself to hope, he allowed himself to be positive - he’d convince her to give them a chance, he simply had to. 

….

“Has Paula gone?” Sergio asked quietly as he walked in to the living room. 

“Yes, Laura collected her while you were in the shower - she’ll be back in a few hours.”

He nodded, thankful that he hadn’t been there when Raquel’s sister had arrived. Laura had put thoughts into Raquel’s mind that he didn’t entirely agree with or appreciate, so he was grateful to have not had to see her this morning - the situation would have been insanely awkward for everyone.

Raquel shifted nervously on her feet, watching his face as he stared down at the carpet, waiting for him to look at her. When his gaze lifted and he looked in to her eyes, she couldn’t help but smile at him. He was radiating a timid energy - something she could only blame herself for - and she wanted to help soothe him, she wanted the pair of them to talk now that the dust had settled. 

She tilted her head towards the couch before asking, “shall we sit?”

“Uhm, yes, sure. Let’s”, he replied tensely. There were two ways this conversation could go, and he was praying for the positive outcome - praying for a life with her and their daughter. 

They sat down on the couch, maintaining a safe distance but keeping their bodies turned towards each other, both of them willing to completely open up and play all of their cards. There was no use in pretending or hiding feelings anymore, this conversation was make or break and they had to lay everything on the table so that they could work through their issues, together. 

Raquel cleared her throat before speaking, she didn’t always show it like he did, she was very good at masking her anxiousness, but _god_ , she was so nervous to deal with this situation head on.

“So”, she began. “Let’s try talking again, shall we?”

Sergio gulped, attempting to swallow down his worries and apprehension. 

“Yes. I think it’s time we did”, he agreed, his voice oozing a confidence he _definitely_ didn’t feel. 

_Fuck_ , what was he going to do if she still didn’t want him? They’d had an awful fight and clearly had issues they needed to work through, but now that Raquel was back in his life, he knew - he couldn’t live without her or Paula, not ever again. 

….  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve actually already written half of the next chapter, so I PROMISE it won’t be as long of a wait for an update.  
> Please let me know what you think, I live for your comments and kudos. I love hearing from you all x


	11. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel and Sergio finally talk.. can they come through this the other side?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go lovely people, I hope you enjoy. x

….  
….

The air was thick with tension, filled with unspoken words and apologies. The atmosphere wasn’t awkward as such, but it was definitely becoming more uncomfortable with each passing second. The two of them were sat on the couch, engulfed in silence - utter silence. 

Sergio couldn’t take it any more. He needed to fill the deafening quiet with something, _anything_. Plus, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to hear what she was about to say, a part of him was clinging on to the hope that they could work through this - but what if they couldn’t?

“Listen, Raquel - I’m sorry... _so_ sorry.”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise - an apology from him was not what she was wanting. She’d been just as cruel to him last night - and then some, he wasn’t the only one who needed to apologise. 

“Sergio, no.”

“No?”

She smiled softly, almost sadly at him. “No. You shouldn’t be apologising to me, I should be apologising to _you_. I was awful - and you didn’t deserve it.”

He shook his head. “No Raquel, we were both as bad as each other. It just... it became... it was too much. We lashed out, and it - it wasn’t okay to speak to each other like that.”

“I’m sorry too”, she said meaningfully, “ _so sorry_.”

He stared at her. “It’s okay, you were just explaining how you felt. I shouldn’t have been so bitter about it, you can’t help how you feel about me and all of this.”

She considered him for a moment before speaking up:

“But you were right, Sergio.”

He looked at her with a confused look on his face. “I was? About what?”

“About how I was feeling”, she said. “I had been influenced by Laura and she made me panic - she put doubt in my mind. Of course it isn’t how I feel about you.”

He nodded, his face clearing at her honesty - _could she really still want them to give this a chance?_

“It isn’t how I feel about us”, she added with a whisper.

He gave her a soft look. He loved that she was finally being honest with him, she was finally opening up and letting him in - it was all he'd wanted her to do last night.

“So, uhm - h-how do you really feel? What do you want to do, Raquel?”

“Well... I’m nervous, of course I am. I’m terrified this won’t work out and I’ll be left heartbroken all over again, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to give us a chance.”

He swallowed, his mouth was dry - he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he didn’t want to interrupt her, not just yet. 

“I’m scared, Sergio”, she continued on, lowering her gaze to stare at the space between them on the couch.

On an impulse, he scooted closer towards her, placing his hand on top of hers, immediately soothed by the warmth of her skin under his delicate touch. 

“Raquel. I’m scared too.”

“You are?”

He hesitantly lifted his free hand to brush the back of his fingers against her cheek, and she closed her eyes at his touch. She’d never be able to resist him or his softness for her for as long as she lived. 

“Of course I’m scared. If it’s possible, I love you more now than I ever loved you back then. I mean, I never fell out of love with you, _I’ve always loved you_ , but seeing you - with Paula... I’m - I’m so completely in love with you, Raquel... and it’s _terrifying_. If I was to lose you, I don’t know how I’d-“

He lost the train of his words as his thoughts became darker; imagining a life without her in it, it filled him with such fear that he couldn’t bear to think about it for a second longer. 

Raquel shuffled forwards on the couch, closing the remaining distance between them to wrap her arms tightly around his neck, and without hesitation, Sergio lifted his arms to embrace her, one hand pulling her closer by the small of her back, as the other found its place tangled in her hair. 

They both sighed at the contact. _This_ , this felt right. Here, wrapped in each other’s arms, everything felt safe and warm and perfect. This was where they were both meant to be. 

She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, gazing at his handsome face that she loved so much - she needed him to know. 

“There’s something else too”, she whispered, not breaking eye contact with him.

His voice was hoarse and low when he found the ability to answer her. “What’s that?”

She smiled softly, before licking her lips, watching as his eyes followed the movement of her tongue and he gulped - _god, she wanted him_.

“I love you too. Of course I love you, more than anything. I always have, and I always, _always_ will.”

He nodded, lost for words, before a huge grin broke out on his face, his eyes almost disappearing behind his glasses. How was it possible for someone to evoke so much happiness inside of him? Ten minutes ago he was terrified they were over, that they’d have to learn to co-parent their daughter, but now, they were admitting their worries to each other and moving past this bump in the road together. 

“You do?” he asked, letting out a small laugh. 

“Mhm. I most... definitely... do...” she replied, punctuating each word with a soft kiss on his lips. 

Feeling her lips on his ignited the fire inside of him, he thought he wouldn’t get the chance to kiss her again, but now here she was - back in his arms; and he wasn’t going to waste any opportunity that was given to him to kiss the love of his life. He leaned in slowly, closing the gap and kissed her deeply, conveying how he felt about her in that one kiss. It was heated, passionate, a mutual flaming desire between them, and when they broke apart minutes later, breathless and panting, he knew she felt exactly the same. They had a way to go, and they would inevitably have more arguments about feelings and the past in the weeks to come, but they were moving forward. However, he needed to lay his cards on the table about how he wanted them to move on as a couple, he took a deep, steadying breath before breaking the intimate moment they were currently cocooned in.

“I know it’s still fresh, but we have to forgive each other Raquel. In order to move forward together and create a life as a family, we can’t throw things in each others faces to hurt or be spiteful. We have to move on and accept that what happened between us is in the past and yes, we hurt each other, but we love each other _so_ much more now - that’s all that matters, right?”

“It is”, she smiled. “It’s all that matters. No more bringing up the past... unless of course, you really piss me off.”

He laughed heartily, throwing his head back at her comment. “Well, I’ll be sure to not piss you off then, my love.”

She leaned in to brush her tongue against his bottom lip, asking him for entry to explore his mouth and continue their kisses. But he pulled back again, only slightly, ensuring he didn’t put too much distance between their faces. 

He tightened his grip on the small of her back, pulling her even closer to him - as close as he possibly could. 

“In all honesty though, Raquel... it truly is better to get all of this out in the open now. It’s best to get it all off our chests, we can talk, you can shout if you want to - whatever we need to do to make this a fresh start for us.”

She chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“Sergio, I’m not going to shout at you. It’s done. We’ve said all that needs to be said and it’s in the past. Clean slate.”

“Clean slate?” he asked.

“Clean slate”, she confirmed with a nod. 

“You forgive me?” he murmured, stroking her back with feather light caresses. 

“If you forgive me”, she added with a subtle smirk. 

“Raquel, I’d forgive you in every possible lifetime.”

She smiled shyly, a rosy blush covering her cheeks at the pure honesty of his words. 

“Well then, it’s settled. Looks like we both forgive each other.”

He leaned in once more and brushed his lips softly against hers, hoping to express how much her words meant to him - how much _she_ meant to him. This, right here, this little unit they were creating once more, this relationship they were building all over again, together, based on trust, forgiveness, communication and love; this meant _the world_ to him. When he pulled back to look in to her eyes, he knew she understood and felt the same. This meant the world to her too. It meant _everything_. 

They came together in perfect unison, kissing and kissing and kissing, until the tension was too much, and Sergio held her tightly around the waist and rose to his feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and he carried her to the bedroom as they kissed like their lives depended on it. When he laid her gently in the pillows, nipping and sucking at the soft skin of her neck, she stroked his shoulders and sighed in blissful contentment. He pulled back and beamed down at her, before slowly trailing kisses down her body, shedding items of clothing as he went. Before long, she was gasping his name, while she made him moan in fulfilled ecstasy. 

….

They spent the next three hours in bed, entirely wrapped up in one another, before Paula was dropped home to them, thoroughly worn out from her time at the park. When Raquel opened the front door to their daughter and her sister, Sergio was nervous about coming face to face with the latter, but to his surprise, Laura wasn’t awkward with him at all. Truth be told, he respected her concerns, she was just looking out for her sister and her niece, so he understood her reservations, but he was still glad to see that she didn’t hold any malice towards him - she seemed happy with whatever decision Raquel came to, _on her own_. He’d met Laura several times in the past when he and Raquel had dated years ago, and he was pleased to find that the conversation between them still flowed naturally, he was also reminded of how much he had always adored Raquel’s family. They had been kind to him since the start, and they were still kind to him now - not only that, they’d helped in raising his daughter, and they’d been there for Raquel at a time when it should have been him. 

Once Laura left, the trio spent the afternoon snuggled closely on the couch, Paula tucked between the two of them as they watched movies, ate snacks and napped in quiet contentment. Sergio had his arm tucked tightly around Paula’s tiny frame as she leaned in to him, while Raquel cuddled the both of them from the other side; one arm draped across the back of the couch and stroking Sergio’s neck, with the other resting in her daughter’s lap and clutching at her little hand. 

They were halfway through their second movie, when Paula turned her head to gaze up at Sergio with innocent, wide eyes. He looked down at her, smiling softly - he could see a question forming on her face, her brows furrowed in concentration, the look she had a mirror of his expression when he was focused on a task. 

“Sergio”, she murmured, her chocolate eyes sparkling up at him. 

He lifted his gaze to quickly take a glance at Raquel, who smiled softly and shrugged.

“Yes, Paula?” he replied looking back down at her, raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Are you... you my papa?” 

Sergio’s breath caught in his throat and he let out a breathless gasp in response to her question. He felt Raquel’s hand freeze her movements on his neck and noticed her hold on Paula’s hand tighten involuntarily. How had Paula come to this conclusion? Why was she asking this question, now? 

He looked at Raquel, unsure of how to answer - unsure of how _she_ would want him to answer. 

He swallowed down his nerves, nudging his glasses up his nose with his hand. Should he be honest? Should he lie? 

Raquel let out a breath, resuming her gentle caresses on his neck. She smiled at him with tears in her eyes, before nodding at him; _it was time_.

“Well, I - uhm, I’m... y-yes. Yes, I am”, he whispered, rubbing her back softly as he answered her.

“Oh”, came Paula’s quiet reply. She turned her head to look at Raquel, searching her mama’s face for confirmation. She lifted her hand from the little girl’s lap to stroke her cheek and fiddle with her hair, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead before speaking:

“Would you like that, cariño?” she asked, her voice hoarse with emotion. 

Paula took no time in thinking about her answer, she absolutely wanted this funny, silly man to be her father. She nodded - just once of course - before turning to look back at Sergio. 

“Yes. Please”, she decided resolutely, smiling up at him. 

He laughed as he looked down at her. “Well that’s it then. It’s settled, I’ll be your papa.” 

“Good”, came her whispered reply, before she broke into a grin of her own, snuggling in even further to his chest. 

Sergio couldn’t believe the turn of events. They hadn’t discussed when they would sit Paula down and tell her who he really was, but if he was to be completely honest, he was glad this was how it had happened. There had been no awkward conversation, just a curious question from a curious little girl, and she seemed perfectly happy with the news that he was her papa. He raised his head to look over at Raquel, her expression was as bright as the sun and tears of joy were slowly making their way down her cheeks. He turned his head to press a kiss to her wrist as it continued to stroke his neck and she smiled widely at him. He couldn’t be happier; he was here, with his family - _his family_. Nothing would tear him away from them now. 

As the three of them settled back down to continue watching their movie, entwined in one another’s arms, Paula once again turned her head, but this time to look up at her mother.

“Love you mama”, she whispered, reaching out to take ahold of Raquel’s hand once more.

“Oh my darling”, Raquel murmured, emotion thick in her voice. “I love you too.”

Letting out a little giggle, Paula turned back to face the television, breathing out a sigh of satisfaction - but not before whispering so quietly they almost didn't hear her:

“Love you papa.”

Sergio’s breath caught in his throat once again, the innocence and purity of his daughter’s words striking him deep within his soul and heart.

He closed his eyes momentarily, before opening them back up and pressing his lips to the crown of Paula’s head, whispering against her soft curls:

“And I love you too, to the stars and back.”

She spun her head around quickly to stare up at him, her eyes wide and mouth open in shock. “To the stars? That so far away... love me all that way?”

He laughed joyfully, _oh how he loved her_. “Yes it’s such a long way, and I love you all the way there... and back.”

“Wow”, she whispered, her eyes glazing over as she thought of the stars and how much her papa must _really_ love her. She _loved_ the stars so much, but she loved her mama and papa more. She loved them just as much as they loved her. 

It didn’t take long for Paula to fall asleep once more in his arms, and as he looked over at Raquel he noticed that she too had dozed off, with her arms wrapped around him and their daughter, while her head rested against his shoulder. Watching the two of them sleep, safe and happy in his comforting embrace made him feel sleepy too, but he wouldn’t let himself drift off - he didn’t want to miss a single moment of them. He wanted to savour and remember everything; their soft breaths, their bodies snuggled together against his, the warmth and cosiness they were radiating. Finally, after all the insecurities of the past twenty four hours, he had them here, in his arms - and he wasn’t ever going to let them go again. Of course he knew that it wouldn’t always be plain sailing, what relationship didn’t have its bickering? But they were strong and the love they shared for each other and their family - _their family!_ \- was stronger than any other feeling or insecurity. The thought that this was it, he would be with them always, in the evenings they would be his last kisses, and they would be the first people he saw as soon as he opened his eyes - the thought made him deliriously happy. Their cuddles, their laughter, their smiles, their kisses, _their love_. As his eyes closed and a soft smile graced his lips, he was filled with a feeling of perfect rightness and utter, utter bliss. This moment, he thought, as he hugged them a little tighter. This moment meant the world. 

The whole world and more. 

….  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was worth the wait.. as always I love to know what you think. Please leave comments and kudos to let me know x
> 
> \- On another note, I wonder if anyone can help me with a slightly random request? A couple of months ago I read a story on here that was an AU story about Raquel and Sergio becoming legal guardians to Cinci after Monica and Denver pass away. They’d dated years before but broken up and suddenly had to come together to raise Cinci. It was such a lovely story and I had the urge to read it again earlier this week, only I haven’t been able to find it on here and I’m wondering if it’s been deleted or if I just can’t find it. I’m sure someone on here has read it, if you have read it can you please, please, please point me in its direction so I can read it again. Thank you!


	12. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio is left in charge of Paula for the day. 
> 
> Chaos or cuteness?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, me again (if anyone is still out there)!!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me on this journey. I hope you’re all still enjoying the story, I’m still loving writing it for you all. We are nearing the end, but I do have a new fic idea up my sleeve that I am SO EXCITED to get started on once GOTP is all wrapped up. 
> 
> It’s been a while I know, but my head has been all over the place and I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life, but writing for you still continues to be my saving grace. 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think.

….  
….

“I need to go back to work tomorrow, Sergio. I don’t want to leave you and Paula, but I really can’t take anymore time off. I was supposed to go back in to the office days ago, but I didn’t want-“

“Raquel”, he interrupted, reaching out a hand to stroke her cheek. “Stop. It’s fine, honestly. I’ll be okay on my own.”

It was a little before seven in the morning, the two of them enjoying the peace and quiet before Paula would have them up and running around - wrapped around her little finger as usual. Their daughter was still sleeping soundly across the hall, giving them the opportunity to talk and cuddle close, as the street came to life outside the walls of their cosy apartment. Sergio had awoken an hour before Raquel, and while he was happy to lay and watch her sleep next to him, his need to touch her eventually won out and he woke her in the loveliest way possible; gentle strokes and delicate kisses, until she was putty in his hands and they were moving rhythmically together, waking each other fully in the _best_ possible way.

“Well... actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about”, she replied quietly.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

She wrapped her arms tighter around his waist, pulling him even closer - feeling his chest against her own, skin to glorious skin. 

“Well... how would you feel about... _not_ being on your own tomorrow?”

He furrowed his brow, looking in to her eyes, “I don’t follow?”

“Sergio... will you look after Paula tomorrow, while I’m at work?”

He swallowed nervously. “W-what? On my own?”

She laughed. “Yes my love, you’ll be on your own. But you’re her father, and you’re already so close, I think it will be good for the two of you. You’ll be absolutely fine, you both will.”

“You think I’ll be okay on my own? With- without... without you? For the _whole_ day?”

“Well, you won’t be entirely on your own... Paula will be with you”, she sniggered sarcastically, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Oh, cariño! Don’t look so terrified. You’ll both be okay without me, you’ll have the best day ever, I just know it.”

_That_ was how, less than twenty four hours later, Sergio found himself fetching Paula from her bedroom as Raquel got herself ready for work. He insisted to the latter that he could wake their daughter, feed her and get her ready for the day by himself, especially since he’d have to spend all day with her, _alone_. He knew this would be good for him and Paula, it would give them time to get to know each other better, time to bond properly, without the comfort of Raquel being there to step in if either of them got a little _too_ shy. Still, he was nervous, completely and utterly nervous of being on his own with this tiny human he loved so much, any normal man would be for the first time. 

Was he terrified at the prospect of being solely responsible for the little girl for the entire day? _Absolutely_. Was he going to voice this concern to Raquel and stress her out before having to spend the day stuck at work? _Absolutely not_.

“Okay my little love, be a good girl for your papa please. I’ll see you tonight, okay?” Raquel murmured to the girl as she emerged in the kitchen a short while later, bending to press soft kisses to Paula’s temple as she sat at the kitchen table munching on a piece of toast. 

Paula, too preoccupied with her food as usual, simply nodded at Raquel, reaching out a buttery hand to clasp at her mama’s neck and return the embrace.

Sergio watched the pair of them tentatively, how would Paula react once her mother left for the day? Would she act up because she missed her? Would she cry and cry until he simply had to call Raquel and beg her to come home early? His heart pounded in his chest at the worry of his daughter hating spending alone time with him. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Raquel speak up again, offering words of comfort before she went on her way.

“The two of you are going to have such a fun day”, she said in an overly enthusiastic tone. Sergio wasn’t _entirely_ sure whether it was for his benefit or Paula’s, but he was grateful either way. “Papa is going to take you and bunny out on an adventure, I’ll miss you both but I can’t wait to hear all about it tonight, when I’m home.”

“An adventure!” Paula squealed, bopping on her chair in an excited dance. 

“Yes baby, an adventure. Now be on your best behaviour, alright? I don’t want to hear of any tantrums.”

“Yes, mama. Me and papa have fun today”, the girl nodded decisively, her eyes flicking between her parents, before turning back to the more important task at hand... _breakfast_.

Raquel chuckled softly before moving towards Sergio who was leaning against the kitchen counter, his hands braced on the surface either side of him. As she approached, he stood straighter, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her close, pressing the gentlest of kisses to her mouth. 

“You sure you’re going to be okay, without me here?”

He quickly lifted a hand to nudge his glasses up his nose, before settling it back on her waist. “No”, he answered honestly, though the slight smile on his face said otherwise. “But I’m sure we will be fine, _in fact_ , I’m rather looking forward to spending the day with her. Having all her attention on me for once, not having to compete with you stealing her away from me at the drop of a dime.”

Raquel laughed heartily, throwing her head back and wrapping her arms more firmly around his neck. 

“Well then, I’ll take that as my cue to leave”, she whispered lightheardily, standing on her toes to leave him with a parting kiss, her tongue flicking out to taste him briefly. “Call me if you need me, I mean it... anything at all, okay?”

Sergio nodded and swallowed hard, staring in to her beautiful, brown eyes, wishing _so_ desperately that she could stay. Not because he was scared of being alone with their daughter, but simply because he was unwilling to spend a single second away from her, especially now she was back in his life for good. 

Pressing one final kiss to his lips, Raquel untangled herself from his embrace, smiling at the two loves of her life as she wandered from the room, making her way down the hall and out through the front door. 

As silence suddenly engulfed the apartment, Sergio could feel his heart in his throat, wondering _why_ he was so terrified of the three year old sat peacefully in front of him. He desperately wanted her to feel safe with him today, he desperately wanted her to feel comfortable with him and just him; he really, _really_ didn’t want to fuck this up. 

“Right, w-well”, Sergio started, moving towards the table to sit down opposite the girl. “Let’s finish our toast and get ready to go out shall we?”

Nudging his glasses back up his nose and nervously fiddling with them, he was cautious of her response now that Raquel had left them all alone. But when Paula began to nod her head enthusiastically - her gappy grin spreading from ear to ear - he realised that there was _nothing_ to be afraid of. This was his baby, he was her father, and they already loved each other so much. They’d miss Raquel like mad while she was gone, but they didn’t _need_ her in order to get through the day. 

Swallowing her last mouthful of toast, and clambering down from the table, Paula walked around to Sergio and tugged firmly on his hand. 

“Come papa, time to get us dressed”, she mumbled confidently.

As Sergio rose from his seat, clutching at the little girl’s dainty fingers and following her down the hall with a huge smile on his face, he realised that _no_ , there was nothing to be afraid of. It was going to be a great day with his baby girl. 

It’d be like Raquel said... _The best day ever_.

….

All in all, as first time’s alone with one’s daughter were to go - not that Sergio had _any_ experience obviously - the day was an all round success. 

There had been minimal tantrums, the odd one here and there of course, but Paula’s stubborn nature made that inevitable, and truthfully, Sergio found them completely endearing. They hadn’t escalated beyond anything more than a few seconds of stomping or yelling, if they _had_ , it might have been a completely different situation altogether. But no, when she'd insisted on tying her laces by herself - _of course unsuccessfully_ \- she’d started to lose her temper, but when Sergio kneeled in front of her, showing her a trick with bunny ears, the mood was soon forgotten and laughter filled the air. Then, later in the day at the park, he'd had to reprimand her for _once again_ climbing too high on the wooden frame and running around without holding on. When he'd lifted her down and kneeled in front of her to remind her just how little she still was, she’d started to stomp her feet, reminding _him_ that she was, in fact, a big girl and able to do it _all by herself_. When the stomping started getting out of control and the frown on her pouty face furrowed deeper, Sergio had whisked her into the air and lifted her onto his shoulders, marching them in the direction of the grocery store in order to buy some food for lunch. Riding on her papa’s shoulders had been _such fun_ , that once again the tantrum was forgotten and joyous squeals of glee filled his ears as she clutched firmly at his hair, hanging on tight, but knowing that her papa would _never_ let her go. 

As Sergio stood in the kitchen in the early evening dicing vegetables for their dinner, he smiled to himself, thinking how much of a success the day had been. He glanced over his shoulder to take a look at Paula sitting peacefully at the table, scribbling a colourful picture to give to her mama when she got home, which would be any second now. 

However, Sergio had been too smug, too soon. The day _had_ been a success... _until now_.

Paula wriggled her way out of her booster seat, her little feet pattering across the floor as she ran into the living room, concern etched on her face as a sudden thought sprung to her mind. 

“Paula? What are you doing?” Sergio asked, wiping his hands on a dishcloth and quickly following her out of the room. 

Pointedly ignoring him, she rummaged through the living room, pulling herself onto the sofa to look behind cushions, then plopping down on the floor to dig through her toy box; but whatever she was looking for was nowhere to be found. Pushing herself upright she ran to the front door, chucking item after item out of the backpack there, desperately searching for _something_.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Sergio asked gently, crouching down next to her, “what is it you’re looking for?”

Standing up and turning to face him, her bottom lip began to wobble, tears began to fill her eyes, and Sergio recognised it instantly... he was about to witness the tantrum of _all_ tantrums. 

Before he could comprehend what was about to happen, fat tears began to roll down Paula’s rosy cheeks, her hands clenched at her sides and she threw her head back, screaming loudly, before breaking in to loud, trembling sobs. 

He stood up abruptly and lifted her off the ground, pulling her close and wiping at her eyes unsuccessfully. As soon as one tear was mopped up, another fell, and another, her eyes streaming in earnest. She fidgeted in his grip, wriggling in his arms until he lowered her to the floor again, where she was then able to run back into the living room and throw herself dramatically on the floor, her arms and legs kicking and punching at the carpeted ground. 

Sergio ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do, or what _even_ was the problem in the first place. He cautiously moved nearer to her, sitting himself on the ground next to her as she screamed, pulling her up and into his lap, holding her close to his chest and rocking backwards and forwards. He caught a glimpse at her face, her eyes red and her lips swollen, and he realised this wasn’t just a toddler tantrum, Paula was heartbreakingly upset about something. 

“Shh, now... shh”, he whispered in her ear, pressing kisses to her tangled curls. “Tell me, what’s the matter.”

“B-bu-bunny”, she heaved, sobs racking her tiny body. 

“What about bunny? Tell me”, he murmured against her hair, pulling back to look in to her eyes once more. 

She blinked up at him, her lashes wet and her eyes filled with sadness, and his heart broke. In that moment, he swore to himself that he would kill anyone that _ever_ made her look this anguished while he was around. 

“Bu-bunny, gone”, she all but whispered, tears once again falling freely as she tucked her head into his neck, clutching at him desperately. 

Sergio’s eyes widened in realisation. _Fuck_ , her bunny. How had he been so careless as to not keep a closer eye on the one thing Paula loved above all else. He racked his brain as to where he’d last seen the stuffed animal; he couldn’t remember seeing bunny at the park, he _definitely_ couldn’t remember seeing him at the grocery store. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_ , the toy could literally have been lost anywhere. 

As he cuddled the girl and held her snug on his lap, he wondered how he would explain this to Raquel. How would he explain that in the one day he’d had to look after their daughter, he’d lost her favourite toy, the _one_ thing she couldn’t sleep without, the one thing Raquel had bought that Paula treasured more than anything else she owned. He could imagine the conversation already, _hi Raquel, yes the day was a success, but I lost our daughter’s best, cuddly friend and now she won’t stop crying and probably won’t sleep ever again, but hey, we survived!_

He pulled away from Paula slightly to hold her face between his hands, looking in to her eyes, her beautiful eyes that were the mirror image of his own. 

“Now, you listen to me. Papa will find bunny, I promise you. Tomorrow, I will find him a-and bring him home, okay?”

His promise was meant to calm and reassure her, but it only caused her wailing to intensify and kick up a notch. 

“No! Now! Bunny home, now!”

He looked around worriedly, he couldn’t go out now - Raquel would be home any minute, Paula needed to be bathed and fed and then put to bed, how could he go out now? The day had been a success, but he suddenly realised he’d been too confident too soon and was suddenly, overwhelmingly, out of his depth. 

As he searched for the words to soothe his daughter, he heard the unmistakable sound of keys turning in the lock. _Raquel_. Of course she chose _now_ to return home, when the little girl was in full on screaming mode. Why couldn’t she have come home ten minutes earlier when Paula was sat at the table, perfectly happy and drawing a picture to gift to her mama when she got in. 

As the front door closed, Paula whipped her head around to take a look, pushing herself up from Sergio’s lap and launching down the hall and at Raquel’s legs. 

“Woah! Now, now, what’s all this?” Sergio heard her ask as she made her way towards the living room, stepping through the doorway with Paula wrapped in her embrace. She seemed to be calming down now that she was finally in her mama’s arms.

Raquel took a single look at Sergio on the floor and smiled at him; he looked lost and stress was visible in every line of his face, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the sight of him. Walking closer to where he sat, she perched on the sofa nearby, disentangling Paula and turning her around so she could look in to her eyes. 

“Is someone going to tell me what this is all about? What’s with the crying, huh?” Raquel asked quietly, brushing her thumb against her daughter’s cheek to wipe away her tears. 

“Raquel”, he sighed, lowering his gaze to the floor. “I lost her bunny”, he all but whispered, afraid that if he said it too loud, Paula would start screaming bloody murder again. 

Raquel stared at him, mouth slightly agape. “You what?”

He swallowed hard. “I... I had it, we h-had it, and then she climbed too high at the park, so I... I lifted her down, and then I, I just... left, we left and we must have forgotten bunny. I don’t know how, she always has him in her hand, _always_ , but she must have put him down, a-and I, I am _so_ sorry. I’ll go and find him tomorrow, or I’ll go a-and buy another one.”

“You lost bunny?” Raquel questioned in a whisper. 

Lowering his head along with his gaze, ashamed that he’d been so careless with her trust, he began nodding slowly. He thought today had been a success, but he’d been wrong, he clearly wasn’t ready to be a father. 

“Y-yes. I’m sorry, Raquel. We had such a great day. We managed all by ourselves, two tantrums were calmed and stopped before they even had a chance to begin... w-we played, we laughed, we cuddled and had fun. I was just making us all dinner and Paula was drawing you a pretty picture, w-when she realised bunny was missing.” He lifted his head to take a glance at his daughter, her tears subsiding now that she was back with her mama. “I’m so sorry my little love, _so sorry_. I promise you, I will find him.”

Paula looked back at him, her eyes flicking intensely between his own, hanging onto his every word. Ever so slowly, she lifted herself up and away from Raquel, taking the two small steps towards him and settling back into his lap, hugging him tight, at last believing his promise of finding her very best friend for her.

His breath hitched in his throat, the love for his little girl tripling by the second, just when he thought he couldn’t love her any more. He wrapped his arms around her, spreading his hands on her back, protecting her from anymore heartbreak tonight. Looking up at Raquel, he recognised a glint in her eyes, a mischievous look that he had come to recognise well enough over the years. 

Turning slightly on the sofa and reaching for her handbag, she cleared her throat, catching the attention of the two sad faces sat on the floor in front of her. Rummaging through her bag until she found what she was looking for, she faced them both, pausing for dramatic effect, before revealing her hands and the answer to all of their prayers. 

_Bunny_.

Sergio let out an exasperated sigh of relief, as Paula scrambled away from him, reaching for her cuddly friend and squealing with glee. 

“Bunny!”

Raquel laughed as she watched the girl jump up and down, squeezing the toy to her chest, clearly _never_ prepared to let go again. She looked past her and saw Sergio lower his face into his hands, relief suddenly overwhelming his body as he slumped forward. Lowering herself to the floor in front of him, she pulled at his hands and forced him to look at her. 

“You’re evil”, he whispered in mock outrage. “You had that toy all along and you let me go through th-that... _torture_.”

She laughed louder now, “oh please! You think that was torture, you wait until you lose him properly and it takes days to find him.”

“Y-you’ve lost him before?”

She widened her eyes in surprise at his question. “Yes, Sergio! Of course I have! Several times, in fact. It’s always _the end of the world_ for Paula, but we always, _always_ find him.” She reached out a hand, placing her palm against his cheek, “honestly you should have seen your face, that really was _too_ easy. I wanted to give him over as soon as I came in, but your face was a treat, I had to watch you squirm for a bit.”

He chuckled, seeing the funny side of it now, maybe he had been _slightly_ dramatic, but he couldn’t help it when he’d seen Paula’s devastated little face. 

“Not me”, he disclosed, involuntarily leaning into the touch of her caress. “Our daughter! You prolonged her sadness, all so you could get two minutes of joy from watching me suffer... you are a cruel, cruel woman.” 

She leaned towards him, closing the distance until their faces were centimetres apart. “That I am, but you still love me anyway”, she whispered, before pressing the softest of kisses on his mouth. 

He smiled against her lips, “that I do my love, that I do.” 

She pulled back, pushing herself to stand, tugging on his hands to pull him up with her. She squeezed his cheeks and gave him a breathtaking smile before turning to face their daughter.

“Now, Paula... you must take more care of bunny. He was in the stairwell this time so easy for me to find, but one day you won’t be so lucky. We don’t want to lose him forever do we, huh? You must be more careful, or we will have to start leaving him at home... okay?”

Paula nodded resolutely, still holding on to bunny for dear life. “Yes, mama. More care.”

Raquel turned to Sergio, intertwining their fingers and smiling at him. “Good girl. Now did you have a fun day with papa?”

“Yes!”

“And did you miss me?”

Paula jumped up and down once more, her excitement back and doubling by the minute. “Yes, mama. So much!”

“I missed you both too”, she breathed out, chuckling at her daughter’s wonderful honesty. “I’m so glad to be home”, she whispered to Sergio. “So glad to be home with you.”

He broke in to a glorious grin, before leaning in to kiss her again, he just couldn’t stop himself. Pulling away he tugged on her hand, dragging her into the kitchen with him. 

“Paula, come and show your mama what you made her.”

At rapid speed, the toddler hurled herself at Sergio’s legs, reaching out for him to lift her into his arms. Bending down, he picked her up and she leaned out to grab the drawing off the table next to them. 

“Here, mama. Look what I made”, she beamed, infinitely proud of herself as she pushed the crumpled paper into Raquel’s waiting hand. 

“Oh, cariño. This is beautiful. I see... the sun, and a tree, and I see Paula and bunny. Thank you, I love it”, she cooed, pressing a kiss to her smiley mouth before stepping away. 

Lowering her to the floor, Sergio watched as Paula made her way back into the living room, bunny firmly in place under her arm. She traipsed towards her overflowing toy box, perfectly content to play for a while now that everything was right in her world again.

Once she’d fixed the picture to the front of the fridge, Raquel turned around and began walking slowly towards Sergio, her arms reaching out to wrap around his neck. _This_ , this was where she belonged. She let out a long sigh, closing her eyes at the comfort of being back in his strong embrace. 

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body flush against his as he pressed kisses to her neck, encouraging her to lean back slightly to give him more access to the soft skin there. “You okay? That was a big sigh”, he murmured against her throat. 

She hummed her agreement. “I’m just so glad to be home, the first day back is always a long one.”

He pulled back, still holding her close, “did you tell anyone about us?”

She smiled coyly, playing with his hair as she whispered, “hmm, and what is it I need to tell them?”

He couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face, the dimples visible on his flushed cheeks. “Well, maybe that the love of your life.. is.. back.. to.. stay”, he said, punctuating each word with a kiss on her neck, making his way back up to her lips and kissing her deeply for a long moment. Their tongues tangled together in the all too familiar dance they both knew so well, their breath mingling as they devoured each other, acting as if they’d been apart for months, and _not, in fact_ only eight hours. 

As they broke apart, both a little breathless, she stroked his beard as she contemplated his question. “Well, do you want to know if I told the women I work with, or do you _really_ want to know if I told Ángel we are back together and that his infatuation with me needs to stop?”

Sergio blushed at her words, knowing full well she’d have been able to see right through him. “Well... I m-mean, I would _like_ you to tell Ángel, so I don’t have to worry about him constantly making inappropriate comments towards you. But no, genuinely, I’m just curious if you told anyone at work, they must have been curious as to why you suddenly took extra days off, no?”

She smiled up at him and tucked her head under his chin, breathing him in and holding him close for a moment before speaking. “You’re right. They all asked me why, and I told them... I told them all about you. They all know who you are, of course. The girl’s were thrilled to hear we are back together, so happy for the three of us. They kept teasing me all day, I couldn’t stop smiling and they just _wouldn’t_ shut up about it.”

He laughed, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, breathing in her comforting scent. He paused, waiting a beat before asking:

“And, Ángel... w-what about him? Did you tell him?”

She pressed a kiss to his chest, squeezing him tighter to reassure him before answering. “I didn’t need to tell him directly, Sergio. It’s a small office... he heard everything. He knows where we stand now, I can assure you he won’t be bothering me again.” She looked up at him, staring into his eyes, “I promise, my love. Nothing to worry about there.”

He stroked her back with gentle hands, “I-I’m not worried about it, I just don’t want him saying sexist things to you anymore, o-or assuming he can ask you to have sex with him when he feels like it. I just want him to know, so that he doesn’t bother you... I want him to know, so that he can get over you.”

“You’re very sweet, but like I say... that’s done now. All in the past.” 

He nodded in agreement, putting an end to the conversation, letting her go so he could turn back to the vegetables half diced on the counter. “I’m halfway through making dinner, I thought I’d do us a vegetable pasta bake.”

“That sounds perfect, thank you for sorting that for us. Normally, I get home from work and then have the worry of making dinner for myself. Looks like having you here is going to be better in more ways than one”, she murmured, gliding closer again and wrapping her arms around him from behind, her hands dipping teasingly under his waistband. 

He cleared his throat as he felt his body react to her touch. He lifted a hand from the counter to hold her wrist still, fearing he wouldn’t be able to stop himself if she started. He turned to face her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and leaning close to whisper, “tell me, in what other way am I good for you?”

She swallowed, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt his breath hot on her neck. She continued her ministrations, her hand moving lower once more as she breathed out her reply, “how about instead of telling you... I just show you later.”

He laughed, the low rumble sending shockwaves of lust and want coursing through the veins. “Do you promise?” Sergio replied, pressing a wet kiss to her jawline, nipping at the skin there teasingly. 

She leaned in to his touch, removing her hand from his waistband before the situation escalated, she _needed_ to control herself with their daughter awake and only a few feet away in the next room. “Oh, absolutely I promise. I’ll show you all night long”, she replied in a seductive whisper.

He took a wavering breath, trying to get his _need_ to take her under control, lifting his hands to her shoulders and gently pushing her away from him, out of the reach of his _desperate_ , itching hands. 

Laughing at him as she stepped away, Raquel moved towards the fridge to fetch the cold bottle of wine she’d been saving for tonight; overjoyed to discover that he was just as infatuated with her as she was him, the realisation not lost on her that the feeling was _entirely_ mutual, the hunger and need for each other’s touch _completely_ reciprocated in every, single way. 

“So, did the two of you really have a good day? Did she behave for you?” she asked, uncorking the bottle on the countertop next to him. 

Sergio smiled to himself at the domesticity of the situation, the pair of them prepping dinner and talking about their day, just like old times; only now there was a tiny product of their love right alongside them, filling their space with more wonder than he ever thought possible. His life really couldn’t be more perfect than it was at this very, precise moment. 

“She was as good as gold. A couple of near misses with the tantrums, but we got them under control almost instantly. Honestly, we have been absolutely fine all day, it’s just typical you walked through the door at the _one_ disastrous moment we had.”

She chuckled as she poured their drinks. “There’s always a tantrum, but I knew you’d be able to handle it. She’s super easy, I mean - I know I’m biased, but she really is no trouble at all.”

He turned to look at her, a grin plastered on his face. “No, no she’s not. I feel like this was a real turning point for us, Raquel. Now that I know I can do it, I’ll be able to have her whenever you’re at work. A-at least until I figure out what I’m doing about my work.”

She hummed in agreement, turning to lean her side against the counter to face him, “yes, we do need to talk about that at some point. Figure out what we are going to do long term.”

Wiping his hands on a cloth, he reached out for his glass before speaking: 

“Tomorrow. We can discuss all of that tomorrow. Today’s been a good day, no more talk of work. Let’s have a nice evening as a family, shall we?”

Smiling, she raised her glass towards his, “absolutely, I’ll drink to that.” Clinking her glass against his own, she lifted it to her lips to take a sip, “cheers.”

He winked as he watched her, utterly infatuated with her every move. “Cheers, my love.”

Everything could be discussed tomorrow… Plans could be made tomorrow… _Reality_ could wait until tomorrow. But tonight, he was going to enjoy his evening with his family. 

His wonderful, _wonderful_ family. 

….  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated. I’ll be back soon.. I promise this time!


	13. Let's go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serious smut, followed by a serious conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!  
> After this chapter, there will be 2 more left. I’ll be sad to say goodbye to this story, but I feel like it’s coming to a natural end.  
> Please enjoy this, and know how much I adored writing this chapter. I always get nervous writing smut, so please tell me if it was just awful!  
> I’m on twitter if anyone wants to reach out to me on there, I LOVE speaking to you all - @Nigellanovela

….  
….

Sergio loved his little girl, more than he could ever possibly explain, but _my god_ was she a handful at times. She was boisterous, she was loud, she was full of constant determination and a drive for adventure just like her mother - and at times, it was... well, _a lot to handle_. He’d always been a shy boy growing up, a trait that he was happy to see Paula had not inherited. She spoke and waved to everyone she met, _just like her mama_ , she was always the brightest ray of sunshine when she entered a room, _again, just like her mama_ ; and Sergio couldn’t be happier about any of this - she really was a mini Raquel. But one thing he was certain of - even after only knowing his daughter for a short while - was that she _did_ in fact have some personality traits that were clearly inherited from him. Paula’s concentration and unbreakable willingness to learn new things and focus on them for hours at a time was all him, yes, _definitely_.

As he smiled to himself, thinking of his little girl and her ability to be so much of him and so much of Raquel at the same time, the subject came tearing in to the living room, squealing in what he could tell was utter delight and pure joy. He turned from where he was standing at the kitchen sink, to see the toddler running around naked, bunny in hand, his ears dragging along the floor behind her. Laughing to himself as he dried his hands on a towel, Sergio suddenly heard Raquel call out from the bathroom down the hall.

“Paula! Stop, come back here... Paula!”

Her calls went unanswered as the girl continued to run riot, screaming and laughing, waiting and hoping for her mama to come and chase her - a game that Sergio was quickly understanding to be one of Paula’s favourites. Almost every night, _if she got the chance_ , Paula would break free when Raquel stripped her down for her bath, and proceed to run around the entire apartment, giggling and screaming, waiting for her mama to run after her. A game of cat and mouse that Paula loved and would last a good ten minutes each time, allowing the toddler to let off some steam before bed. Raquel could easily catch her if she wanted to - she was a three year old with tiny legs after all - but she always hung back, teasing her, always _almost_ catching her, much to Paula’s absolute delight. After a while though, the little girl would become tired and give in to the chase, finally, willing to be captured and whisked away over her mama’s shoulder to the bathroom at last. 

“Mamaaaa... come get me!”

He could hear the thrill in his daughter’s voice, the teasing to Raquel, baiting her in to come and capture her if she _really_ wanted her to have a bath. 

Laughing as she walked down the hallway towards the living room, he saw Raquel rolling up her sleeves in preparation for the game, the game he knew she loved _just_ as much. 

Walking towards the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living space, Sergio leant against the door frame smiling, perfectly content to watch the two of them in their evening ritual. 

Raquel turned to look at him, throwing a quick wink in his direction, before getting down on her hands and knees and crawling around the living room on the hunt for their daughter, who on cue began giggling and running away from her mama’s grabbing hands. 

Sergio loved his little girl, more than he could ever possibly explain. He also loved her mother, the other half of his heart, Raquel. He loved their life together that they were slowly building, he loved the family unit they were becoming as if it were the most natural thing in the world. But more than anything, he loved the little things, the moments like this, where they were carefree and laughing, not a care in the world, their only concern being each other and their happiness within these four walls. 

With that thought, he pushed himself up and away from the door frame, stepping into the living room and into the middle of their chaotic game. He went down on his knees and joined them in their fun, for there was nothing else on earth he could _possibly_ imagine doing in that moment instead. 

….

“She’s asleep again, finally”, Raquel whispered as she tiptoed back into their bedroom, pushing the door up behind her.

It was almost midnight and Paula had woken up suddenly, calling out loudly for her mama. Raquel had been up in an instant, all but running into her nursery, concerned her daughter was ill or suffering from a nightmare, but no... the girl had asked to play another game. She’d been immediately shut down and told that no, under no circumstances was she allowed to get out of bed to play, it was the middle of the night and time to be sleeping. Of course, Paula had taken umbrage to this and started to cry, explaining that she’d had fun playing with her mama and papa and couldn’t sleep anymore because she was too excited. Raquel had found this endearing, but there was no way she was allowing it, so she’d kneeled down next to Paula and stroked her hair, whispering in her ear of all the games they would play in the morning and the adventures they would have, until eventually the girl had fallen back to sleep with the promise of tomorrow firmly in her mind. 

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I got her overexcited after her bath when she was meant to be calming down”, Sergio replied anxiously, his brows furrowed in concern. 

Raquel chuckled, climbing back onto the bed and in to his waiting arms, pulling the duvet up and over them once more. 

“Don’t apologise”, she whispered, pressing the softest of kisses against his cheek. “She gets like this sometimes. Her little brain gets overexcited and all she wants to do is bounce off the walls. Trust me, this is nothing... you wait until Christmas.”

Sergio smiled at the thought, pulling her in even closer, his hand tracing nonsensical patterns up and down her arm as it lay folded over his chest, the pair of them perfectly content to lay in each other’s embrace in the comfortable silence of the night. 

“Your heart is beating really fast”, Raquel eventually whispered after a few minutes. She could hear from where her head was resting on his chest the erratic sounds of his heart, not too dissimilar from her own she imagined. 

He swallowed hard, letting out a nervous breath before replying, “is it? I-I don’t know why it would be.” But the croak of his voice gave him away and gave light to the nerves emanating from him. 

Raquel could see right through his lie, so pushed herself up on an elbow to look down at him with a smirk, her eyes just making out his own in the almost pitch black room. 

“You’re nervous”, she stated fondly. “Why are you nervous, my love?” she added with a whisper, trailing her hand down from his chest to stroke at his stomach, her fingers now taking a turn at drawing random patterns all over his warm skin. 

“Er - uhm, I-I’m not”, he stuttered back, looking away from her teasing eyes to stare at the ceiling. 

She laughed lightly, curling over to press a kiss to his chest. 

“Yes, you are. What’s making you nervous? I thought we were past that now?”

He hastily searched for her loving gaze again, wanting to ensure her that they were indeed past that, and that it wasn’t her presence that was making him nervous. 

“We are past that, Raquel... we are. It’s just, I-I...” Sergio trailed off, suddenly at a loss for words. 

How did he explain that he wasn’t nervous of _her_ , or even _them_. He was nervous because, whenever she is near and it’s just the two of them alone, he becomes so primitive around her, wanting and needing to hold her and be with her, to take her in every sense of the word. How did he tell her he wasn’t nervous of her, and that he was simply addicted to her, with every fibre of his being.

“I-I just have, I have this intense hunger for you, all the time... even when you’re not near me”, he whispered, playing with her fingers that had stopped their delicate movements. “I can’t really explain it, I don’t even know what comes over me, but when you’re in my arms, I become so fiercely drawn to you, you’re all I can think about... it’s like everything else slips from my mind and my whole vision becomes focused on you. My reason for breathing becomes centred around you.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded by his startling honesty, laying down on his chest once more and closing her eyes, her arms squeezing tightly around him. Saying nothing, hoping that he would continue with his explanation, loving that he was being so open and vulnerable with his feelings and healing heart.

Sergio tucked her in closer, his arms protectively wrapping around her torso, nuzzling her hair and taking a deep breath of her scent before continuing.

“I’m addicted to you, Raquel... and sometimes”, he paused to let out a long shuddering breath. “Sometimes, I-I just don’t know what to do about it... So, I guess it can make me nervous.”

Letting out a sigh of perfect rightness, she tilted her head to look up at him before saying:

“So, what do you want to do about it? Right now, I mean?” 

Lifting a hand to push a fallen strand of hair away from her beautiful face, tucking it behind her ear, he stared lovingly into her eyes.

“I want to make love to you”, he breathed out, his voice low and raspy with desire.

She smiled as her breath hitched, lifting her face and inching closer to him. 

“You do?”

Nodding slowly, he could feel his heartbeat picking up speed again, beating wildly against his rib cage, knowing she could feel it too from where she was pressed up against him. 

She lifted a hand and ran a finger over his soft lips, teasing them open to let him taste her, before whispering: “take me if you want me, then. I’m all yours.”

Needing no further encouragement, he lifted his head to press his lips against hers in a languid kiss, their mouths working together in perfect synchronisation. Before long, he rolled on top of her to kiss her more deeply, her hands twining into his hair to keep him firmly in place, while his own wandered all over her body and teased their way under the t-shirt she wore. 

He pulled away slightly to murmur against her lips, “Raquel, I love you so much.”

She opened her eyes and smiled dreamily up at him, “Oh, Sergio. I love you too.”

Seeing tears forming in her eyes, he bent his head and kissed her again, pushing the t-shirt up and over her head, Raquel arching her back to help him. Working together, but never breaking their connection, they were naked in no time at all, writhing together, holding one another, skin against glorious skin. 

After several more long kisses, he moved down her body, nipping and sucking as he went, making her sigh with pleasure, while his desire flared with fiery intensity. 

When he reached his destination, he took his time. Exploring her slowly, licking, circling, using long, broad strokes and quick, gentle licks. Within seconds he had her gasping his name, her fingers brushing his cheeks and tangling in his hair, holding him in place or moving him ever so slightly to touch _just_ the right spot. He knew her body, he knew how to make her come, but he was enjoying this more than he could explain, and he wanted to make it last, wanted to taste her for a lot longer yet. He continued to tease her, but could sense her getting impatient; she was pulling at his hair, moaning his name louder now and wriggling under his mouth. He placed his hands on her hips, holding her firmly in place, and after a few more deliciously torturous seconds she pushed up on her elbows to look at him. 

“Sergio...”

Ignoring her, he continued with his ministrations, teasing her slowly, nipping and sucking, loving the almost filthy sounds that were escaping her. He glanced up at her from under hooded eyes to see her staring at him, her mouth parted in a silent ‘oh’, and when he pushed two fingers inside of her, the added sensation rendered her helpless and she fell back in to the pillows with a sigh. 

He sped up slightly, touching and stroking her in a way he knew would make her come undone in seconds, but every time she was close to the edge, he veered off course, desperate to make her last as long as possible, loving how wet she was for him. He thought he would come from her pleasure alone if he wasn’t careful, and so he reached down with his free hand to stroke himself, needing to relieve the pressure building within him. He didn’t have time to help himself for long though, as she soon tugged sharply on his hair, lifting his face to glare down at him. 

“Sergio, I swear to god. Stop, stop teasing me. You’re driving me crazy.”

“Am I?” he questioned with mock naivety, making her eyes roll and body tremble with a quick, flick of his tongue against her. He removed his fingers and sucked them clean, staring into her eyes as he did so, making her breath catch and her eyes flutter as she watched him. 

“Yes, yes you are. Please, please make me come”, she begged. 

“Hmm, I’ll have to think”, he murmured, pressing his mouth against her once more, using his tongue and moving his lips in a way that had her shivering and gasping. He wasn’t playing around this time, and set up a rhythm that he knew would have her coming almost immediately. Within seconds she was moaning, arching her back against the bed, tensing, so close to the edge once more, but then-

“Sergio!”

“What? I’m not doing anything,” he smugly retorted, the mischievous glint in his eyes showing her he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. 

“Precisely! You’ve got me right at the edge and you won’t push me over. Please, now please...”

He pressed a wet kiss to her inner thigh, nipping at the skin and then soothing it with the flat of his tongue.

“This will teach you for teasing me about that bunny, won’t it?”

She let out a shaky laugh, “yes, I’ll never tease you again, I promise.”

“Good”, he replied hoarsely. Giving her a look that told her he’d give her what she wanted this time, making her swallow in delicious anticipation. 

He pressed his mouth back against her and played her like a song he knew every word to. Almost immediately she was tilting her hips, sighing and moaning, twisting her fingers into his hair and then the sheet, needed to hold onto something, needing to ground herself for what she knew was coming. She waited on tenterhooks for him to pull away, but when he didn’t, she relaxed into the sensations he was creating, her body beginning to tremble. She began moaning, louder and louder, and when he plunged two fingers back inside of her, she half rose out of the pillows immediately with a breathless cry, sobbing his name as the feeling shot through her with breathtaking intensity. He drew out her orgasm for as long as she could bear, ensuring she was entirely satisfied, before eventually she fell back, body shaking, and completely, exquisitely out of breath. 

As she shuddered through the aftershocks, he moved up next to her, folding her into his arms and pressing soft kisses all over her face. Once she’d caught her breath, she opened her eyes and looked at him with such a loving expression. 

“That was incredible”, she stated, her voice still shaky.

He gazed at her, unable to wipe the smile from his face. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything, so instead kissed her deeply, slowly, every inch of his devotion pouring into her. The kiss was hot and sweet and when their tongues rolled together, they moaned in to each other’s mouths in unison. 

It didn’t take her long to recover, and she realised she still wasn’t _entirely_ satisfied. She moved her hand down to stroke at him, her fingers lightly tracing his length, watching the expression on his face change as she touched him. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, his desire suddenly shooting through the roof, he needed her desperately. 

“I want you”, she murmured in his ear as if reading his mind, nipping lightly at his lobe. “I want you to come for me.”

His longing for her had reached a wild intensity, and he had no objections or qualms when she rolled on to her back and pulled him on top of her once more. She opened her legs to him, letting him lie between them, and she reached down to guide him into her, their eyes locking as he slowly entered, their mouths meeting as they both let out long, shuddering sighs of pleasure. 

As he pushed all the way in, filling her completely, he buried his face against her neck, pressing wet kisses there as he got accustomed to the feeling of her warmth around him. There was no better feeling in the world than this, being here, in her arms, her body soft and warm, her breath hot and her kisses lazy, it was absolute heaven on earth. After a few moments of revelling in the feeling, he began moving inside of her and she moaned in his ear, her lips against his neck, the sensation of him filling her up making her back arch in perfect ecstasy. 

He gazed down at her, watching her lustful expression, and when their eyes met once more they could only stare at each other. The way he looked at her, making her feel like the luckiest woman on the planet. 

She pulled him down to her, their mouths crashing together as they kissed passionately, needing to taste each other, craving the other’s tongue against their own, over and over again. 

Their hips rolled languidly, in a cadence that felt _fucking_ incredible, their hands stroking, groping, fingers intertwining as they moved against one another.

Sergio groaned loudly, closing his eyes for a fleeting second before he opened them again, unwilling to look away from her, hypnotised by the way she looked underneath him, her head thrashing, her brow furrowed, her breasts moving in time to the pace he was setting. She was beautiful. 

She opened her eyes to find him staring, her face blushing from the look he was giving her. She could only pull him closer to her again, her legs wrapping more securely around his hips and pulling him in deeper, her arms tight around his neck, wanting to press him more firmly on top of her. 

He pushed in all the way, before stopping his movements, making eye contact with her as the exquisite sensation surrounded them both. He pressed one, two, three soft kisses against her lips, before pulling out of her and plunging all the way back in, hard and deep, the way he knew drove her crazy. 

“Oh”, she gasped, clutching more firmly to his shoulders. 

He did it again, making her moan loudly. 

“Is that good?” Sergio asked, nipping at her neck as she arched her back at the feeling. 

“ _Fuck_ ”, she moaned as he did it again. “That is _so_ good, don’t stop.”

He obliged, willingly, taking her hard and deep, and when she began clawing at his back and muttering for him to go faster, he did exactly as she asked. 

She sighed over, and over, and over again. “ _Yes_ , Sergio, oh my god, yes.”

He bit his lip in excitement, watching her come undone underneath him was so fucking hot, he couldn’t get enough of her. He needed more, wanted to give her more, so he moved one of his hands lower, rubbing his thumb against the spot that he knew would send her into oblivion. He moved his hips in circles, matching his thumb to the rhythm, syncing up with her gasping breaths, playing her so very skilfully. 

She groaned loudly, moving her hands to his cheeks, pulling him closer to mutter against his mouth. “ _Fuck_. Sergio... you’re gonna make me-“

He sucked at her neck, whispering against her skin, “come for me, Raquel”, and that’s what did it. She fell, head first over the edge and came with a long cry, her body shaking as the orgasm rippled through her at lightning speed, spreading from her head to her toes, the warmth filling every inch of her body. He continued moving inside of her, slowly now, wanting her to feel it out, waiting for her to come back down and ride out the waves of pleasure. 

Once she’d recovered, she took a long breath, opening her eyes to smile lazily up at him, letting out a giggle as he pressed kiss after kiss to her face, covering her entirely. 

Clenching herself tightly around him, she watched his eyes flutter closed, a soft sigh escaping his lips, _god_ she felt so good. She waited for him to open his eyes again, then she stroked his face, holding on to his chin as she kissed him soundly on the lips. As she pulled back, he looked at her with so much love and adoration, she thought her heart might burst. 

“I need you”, she muttered, her lips brushing against his. He knew what she meant, and oh, did he need it too. He nodded, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth and began to roll his hips against hers once more. He went slow, not wanting to overstimulate her so soon after her orgasm, but when she gasped and pressed her nails into his back, he took his cue and picked up the pace, pushing fast, broad strokes into her. 

In less than a minute he was coming undone, climaxing hard, with her name falling from his lips repeatedly like a mantra. 

He collapsed on top of her and she held him tight, loving his weight pressing her firmly into the mattress. They were both breathing fast and could feel each other’s heartbeats racing as they attempted to catch their breath. Eventually he lifted himself up onto his elbows, looking down at her with nothing but love in his eyes, kissing her quickly before parting from her, rolling onto his back and pulling her snug against his side. 

The spent long minutes kissing, exchanging delicate caresses, lost entirely in each other, but when she eventually shivered, he reached down and pulled the cover over them, cocooning them in from the cool night air. 

With her head tucked into his neck, she rubbed her nose against his skin, breathing him in deeply before breaking the quiet contentment they found themselves in. 

“What are you going to do about work? I know we said we would discuss tomorrow, but, have you thought about it?”

“Oh”, he sighed, sleepily. “I have actually.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded against her head. “Yeah. Although I work for National Geographic, I _am_ a freelance photographer, so technically I’m my own boss.”

She raised her hand to caress his cheek, “lucky for some”, she chuckled. 

“Well, yes... very lucky, I know. I’m thinking of going out in the city, taking some beautiful photos of Barcelona - there must be something out there that will catch my eye. Any photos I take, I’ll send back to the team in New York and hopefully they’ll keep me on and pay me from here.”

She propped herself up on an elbow to gaze down at him, trying to make out his eyes in the dark of the room. 

“You want to work from here?”

He reached up to stroke her cheek, “I want to work wherever you are, Raquel. Besides, I do love it here... and they send me all over the world for work anyway, so why not get some shots of Barcelona for them.”

Her eyes flicked between his, touched that he was still willing to uproot his life and career to stay in Barcelona, even after she’d been so awful to him about it days ago. 

“Sergio, are you sure? You love New York... and, w-what about your apartment?”

“I only rent the apartment in New York. Besides, I’ve told you, my life is wherever you and Paula are, no compromises.”

Her eyes lit up at his admission and she pulled him in for a kiss. Before he could deepen it, she broke away, her hand rubbing his chest, softly. 

“Well”, she started nervously, looking down at her wandering hand. “What if Paula and I were in New York?”

He faintly smiled, his brow furrowing as he waited for her to look back up at him. 

“What do you mean... I don’t follow?”

She reached down to take his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers and raising them to press kisses to his knuckles. “I mean... what if we moved to New York?”

His eyes widened as he stared at her, unable to speak for a moment or so. 

“What? Y-you said no to New York, you hated the idea, Raquel. Are you serious?”

She laughed again, pausing to take a deep breath, “I am serious, yes. I was being stubborn before, but the more I think about it - the more I think this will be good for us, all of us. A fresh start for me and Paula, I always wanted to live in New York, so, why not. I’m not crazy about the company I work for anyway... I think I need to join a new firm, in a new place. I've really been thinking about it since our argument, and - well, I really want us to live there as a family.”

Sergio couldn’t believe his ears, were they really going to do this?

“What about your mother and your sister?”

She shook her head and smiled at him, “they can visit us, we can come back here too, we will make it work.”

He nodded up at her in shock, intently studying her face - they were really going to do this. 

“Well?” she whispered, playing with his fingers. “What do you think?”

His other hand was gliding up and down her bare back, tracing her spine. “I think... let’s do it - if you're sure.”

“Really?”

“Really”, he affirmed with a nod. 

They laughed together and she lowered herself back into his waiting arms, cuddling close to his body. 

He raised his hand to her chin, tilting her face back so he could look into her eyes, hardly believing his luck. 

“It’s settled then, let’s go. We're moving to New York.”

She pressed her lips to his neck, muttering against him, “yes, my love. I can’t wait to start our new life there, with you. Just the three of us.”

In a whisper, almost inaudible, he replied: “Just the three of us.”

....  
....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments please.. you know the drill by now! See you soon x


	14. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio and Raquel are preparing to leave Spain to start their new life in New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovely people, I have decided to add an epilogue. So, with that being said, there will be 2 more chapters to come. (I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this little family yet).  
> Your support means the world, as always.

….  
….

How anyone could enjoy packing was beyond Raquel. It was long, it was tedious and it made you realise just how much _shit_ you owned and needed to get rid of.

Luckily for her, Sergio loved packing. He was meticulous, he was tidy and he thrived when it came to organisation. He was a godsend, especially since they were leaving in two days and needed to box up her entire life to move across the world; and she was _more_ than happy to let him take the reins in packing up her Barcelona home.

It’d been five weeks since they’d made the decision to move to New York as a family, and the closer it got to the day of leaving, the more excited Raquel became. She’d always wanted to live in the city, it’d been her desire for as long as she could remember, and now her dream was becoming a reality - to say she was bursting with excitement at the prospect of their new life together, was an astonishing understatement. 

She’d kept out of Sergio’s way for the last couple of days, leaving him in charge of boxing up the apartment, while she had busied herself with final things that needed to be tied up before they left, such as renewing Paula’s passport, signing _never-ending_ visa documents and finishing up loose ends with her work. But now, forty eight hours before they were due to leave, she was finally done and able to head home and help him - _albeit unwillingly_ \- with any last packing before the movers arrived to collect the boxes. 

“Sergio? We’re home”, Raquel called out as she walked through the front door, a sleepy Paula tucked up in her arms.

“Hi my loves”, he replied, appearing at the end of the hall and making his way quickly towards them. “I missed you both today, it’s been so quiet without _this_ little one here”, he added, reaching out to take Paula, the girl going willingly in to her papa’s arms. 

While Raquel had been out and busy all day, she’d dropped Paula at her mothers house, asking her and Laura to look after the little girl. Sergio had said there was no need, that he was perfectly capable of packing and watching their daughter, but Raquel knew that Paula would eventually become bored, she’d start causing havoc and prevent him from doing any packing _at all_. But, if she was being truthful, she really wanted her mama and Laura to have some time with the girl before they left the country, they hadn’t discussed when they would next see each other, but she knew it would be a while before they were all eventually reunited. Her sister and mother had been there for her and Paula since the beginning, seeing them almost every day, and the thought of leaving them so soon was weighing heavy on Raquel’s heart. Her mama had taken the news that they were moving hard, but she was happy that the three of them were moving forward and starting a new life together, it was all she’d ever wanted for her daughter. Laura’s feelings were exactly the same, she had assured Raquel that if this was what she really wanted, then she’d be behind her every step of the way. But, even with their love and blessings, Raquel needed Mariví and Laura to be able to spend as much time as possible with Paula before they left; and when she tearfully explained this to Sergio, he’d nodded his understanding and watched them go with a loving smile, saying he’d see them in the evening, where he’d be waiting eagerly with open arms for their return. 

Now that they were home, she smiled at the picture of Sergio and Paula cuddled together, swaying on the spot in perfect contentment. 

“Well, she’s thoroughly worn out”, said Raquel, reaching out to remove her baby girl’s shoes. “Laura had her running around in the garden all afternoon, so she’s _definitely_ ready for bed.”

“No, mama”, came Paula’s sleepy reply, the grumpiness in her voice evident at the prospect of _already_ having to go to sleep. “Not ready for bed.”

Sergio chuckled in to his daughter’s hair, her stubbornness never failing to make his heart soar. 

“Oh come on, Raquel - I haven’t seen her all day, let’s all have a cuddle on the couch before putting her down for the night.”

She frowned unconvincingly at the two of them before breaking in to a smile, Paula’s head lifting off of Sergio’s shoulder to give her mama her _best_ puppy eyes - Sergio’s expression matching their daughter’s perfectly. 

“Oh, fine! But only twenty minutes, then bed, okay?”

“Okay”, came the double acts reply in perfect unison, the unbreakable bond they were already building was one day going to make Raquel’s heart explode with infatuation, of that she was sure. 

As the trio made their way down the hallway towards the living room, Raquel was impressed by the progress Sergio had made. The apartment was very nearly all boxed up, it was like walking in to a shell of her former home.

“Wow, it feels so much smaller somehow”, she whispered after she’d inhaled sharply, walking into the middle of the sparse living room, the only remaining items being the television and two seater couch. “Is everything packed in those over there?” she asked, pointing to the multitude of brown boxes neatly stacked at the far side of the wall.

“Yeah, everything you wanted to keep is in there, everything else has been thrown out”, he replied, depositing Paula onto the couch before turning back towards Raquel who was stood frozen on the spot. “I just need to finish boxing up your bedroom, but I wanted to wait for you to do that... Paula’s room is all done, I finished that just before you came home.”

Raquel nodded silently, taking in the empty space around her. It felt strange, that somewhere that had been her safe haven for the past three and a half years wasn’t going to be a part of her life for much longer.

Sensing her obvious anxiety, Sergio stepped closer to her, reaching out to clasp her hand, rubbing his thumb comfortingly over her knuckles. 

“Raquel? Are you okay?”

“Hm?” she started, coming out of her daydream. “Oh, yes, I’m fine. It just feels a bit weird to see it near enough empty, this has been my sanctuary for the last few years, a-and Paula’s first real home too... I guess, I-I guess I’m just going to miss it, that’s all.”

He nodded, pulling her into his arms, allowing her to cuddle close to his chest, her face burrowed into the warmth of his neck. He understood her sadness, it was never easy to leave somewhere you loved so much, he just hoped she wasn’t regretting her decision already.

“I can’t wait though”, she added with a whisper. “To get to our new home, this feels odd... but in the _best_ possible way”, she added, as if reading his mind and needing to reassure him.

He exhaled unsteadily, before pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “I’m so glad, Raquel. I don’t want you to do this if you’re going to regret it in _any_ way.

She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes and smiled, keeping her arms wrapped firmly around his waist - not wanting to be the first to let go. 

“Never. I promise you, this has been the easiest decision I’ve had to make in years. I’ll never regret being with you, Sergio.”

His returning smile filled his entire face, and he closed the distance between them to press a lingering kiss to her lips, savouring the feel of her for just a moment longer. 

Before they could get carried away, Paula reminded them of her presence, fidgeting slightly on the couch before calling out to them:

“Papa, cartoons now.”

Sergio smiled against Raquel’s lips, before regretfully releasing her from his embrace and wandering over to join their daughter.

“And what’s the magic word?” he asked with a smirk as she clambered onto his lap to get comfortable - oh how she’d missed her papa’s cuddles all day. 

Paula batted her long eyelashes up at him, a shy grin gracing her face before answering.

“Please.”

He pressed a kiss to her temple, wrapping his arms around her as she nestled in tight. “Good girl.”

As she settled down happily, he turned his head to see Raquel watching them, adoration written all over her features. She hadn’t moved from the spot where he’d left her, as if she’d been entirely too distracted in watching him and their daughter to move a muscle.

“Come and join us”, he whispered, reaching out a hand in her direction, almost blushing under her gaze.

Raquel shook her head, walking around the back of the couch and avoiding his outstretched hand, but brushing her fingers lightly through his hair in passing, never missing an opportunity to touch him.

“No, you two carry on”, she murmured as she passed, “I’ll go and finish up packing the bedroom. She needs to go down in twenty minutes though.”

He nodded, “I’ll come and get you when it’s time for bed.”

She blew him a kiss as she left the room, making her way towards the bedroom, happy to let the two of them have some time together, especially since they’d been apart all day. 

After twenty minutes of packing - and hearing no movement from the living room - she realised she’d have to be the bearer of bad news and call bedtime. But, as she made her way down the hallway, the sight before her made her heart beat out of her chest. Sergio was laying on his back with Paula sprawled on his front, he’d pulled the grey cashmere blanket down from the back of the couch and they were wrapped up under it together, sleeping soundly, cuddled up without a single care in the world.

She stood watching them, her hands clutched over her chest. How had she got so lucky? She’d thank her lucky stars every day for the rest of her life, for _this_ being her reality. As minute after minute passed, she didn’t have the heart to disturb them, soft snores were escaping from Paula, and Sergio was holding her so protectively she knew they’d sleep in that position all night if she let them. 

No. She couldn’t wake them just yet, she didn’t have it in her, so she decided she’d give them twenty more minutes. 

Yes. _Just twenty more_.

….  
….

“Raquel? I was thinking..”

She sniggered softly, “careful, you might hurt yourself.”

Sergio rolled his eyes affectionately, “oh ha ha... yes - very funny.”

“I’m joking cariño”, she replied, reaching out to stroke his hand. “What were you thinking?”

They were sat at the kitchen table, enjoying some well deserved peace as Paula took a mid morning nap. The little girl had been unsettled all night, having them up and down until the early hours, but of course, Raquel could only blame herself. She’d left Sergio and their daughter sleeping soundly on the couch for almost two hours while she packed up the bedroom, and when she’d lifted the girl to carry her to bed a while later, she’d woken up - _wide awake_ and wouldn’t go back to sleep. When she’d finally drifted off again, she woke up, every hour, _on the hour_ demanding more cuddles. 

“Well”, Sergio started, taking a long sip of his coffee - _the third cup of the day already_. “What if tonight your mother watched Paula, so we could have one last night out before we left?”

She studied his face for a few seconds before breaking into a grin, her entire facing lighting up, the idea of such pulling her out of her sleepy state immediately.

“That’s a wonderful idea, mama would love to have Paula one last time before we leave. Shall I book us somewhere for dinner?”

Sergio shook his head firmly, “absolutely not. Let me surprise you, one final date night in Barcelona before we go.”

She laughed excitedly before nodding, “okay. Well let me call mama and ask. Wait, actually - what time do we need to be at the airport tomorrow for our flight again?”

“Three o’clock in the afternoon, three thirty at a push, why?” he questioned.

She rose from her seat, moving towards the kitchen counter to collect her phone as she answered:

“I’ll ask mama to have Paula at hers for a sleepover, I think she’ll really love that. We’ve got plenty of time tomorrow to collect her and get sorted before we need to leave, haven’t we?”

“Of course. Plenty of time”, he affirmed with a nod.

She smiled in delight at the idea of gifting her mother and Paula one last night together.

“I’ll go and giver her a call, and then, if you don’t mind... I’ll take a nap myself - that little monster has worn me out.”

He couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of him, Paula had been a monster indeed last night. “Of course, my love. I’ll get her when she wakes up, take all the time you need.”

Slowly, he reached out a hand and beckoned her closer to him, and she didn’t hesitate to walk into his waiting arms, leaning down to kiss him sweetly before pulling back and running her fingers through his hair, then whispering her thanks as she turned around and left the room.

He watched her go, waiting until he heard the click of the bedroom door down the hall, giving it a few moments before retrieving his phone from his pocket. Hopefully they’d both sleep long enough for him to get everything in order, he just needed an hour or so to get the wheels in motion for tonight.

Pressing a few buttons, he lifted the phone to his ear, waiting patiently for the recipient to answer, praying that she would, he desperately needed her help after all.

….  
….

After settling Paula at her mother’s - the girl didn’t even look back at them when she heard there was ice cream waiting in the freezer - they took a taxi into the city centre for one last time.

Raquel had no idea where they were going, but she knew Sergio would make the evening special, he was aware of all her favourite places and he’d always been romantic, she was confident this final date night in Barcelona would be one to remember.

Sergio had told her to dress up, and she had to admit, the pair of them looked amazing together. He was in a black suit and white dress shirt, he’d forgone the tie, and with the top three buttons of his shirt undone she couldn’t wait to get him home already. She’d decided on her favourite dress, it was cream and flowy, reaching just above her ankles with a tantalising split up to her mid thigh. She’d decided to team the outfit with red accessories, the bag and heels matching in colour, complimenting her make up and red lipstick perfectly. She’d wondered if the look had been a bit much, but when Sergio had seen her, his mouth dropped open and he’d been unable to tear his gaze from her lips, and in that moment she realised she’d made the _entirely_ right decision for the evening. 

“So, where are you taking me?” she asked with a smile, as they stepped out of the taxi and onto the sidewalk. 

He shrugged dismissively, “nice try, but I told you... it’s a _surprise_.

Raquel pulled him close, looking deep into his eyes as she batted her eyelashes. “Will you tell me if I give you... a kiss?”, she whispered suggestively. 

He bent his head to teasingly press his lips to hers. “No”, he answered, grinning against her mouth, “have some patience... I won’t give into your blackmail.”

She let out a groan of mock frustration, but she wasn’t mad really, how could she be, not when he’d gone to all this effort to give her a night to remember before she moved halfway across the world.

He gently took ahold of her hand and they began making their way down one of her favourite streets in the city. They took their time, chatting quietly, admiring the view as they went, pointing out quaint, cobbled courtyards and quirky bars that were bursting at the seams. Sergio knew how much she’d miss living in Barcelona, so he happily followed her slow and steady pace - he listened to her stories, laughed at her memories and whenever she’d slip into a contemplative silence, he’d lift her hand and press comforting kisses to her knuckles.

They’d been walking for ten minutes or so, hand in hand the entire way, when he steered them off of the main street and down a hidden alleyway; she looked around curiously at the wild ivy growing up the walls and at the twinkling fairy lights that lit their path. She’d never been down this route before, _in fact_ , she’d never even noticed its existence before - so, how did Sergio know of it?

Before she could press him for answers, they came to a stop in front of a brown, shabby, oak door, that stood _at least_ ten feet tall. She turned to look up at him, her brows knotting in question, _what on earth were they doing here?_

“What is this place?” she asked him. 

“ _This_ is where we are spending our last night in Barcelona”, he said. “Open the door.”

She laughed, this was all very mysterious. “Is this a private bar or something?”

“Well”, he chuckled softly, “why don’t you head inside and find out.”

She’d heard of places like this, ‘speakeasies’ they were called, hidden all over the world, but she’d never actually been to one here in Spain. They were secret and private and normally sold the most delectable cocktails, she couldn’t think of a lovelier way to spend the evening with him. She squeezed his hand in gratitude and pushed open the door, to be greeted by...

_Nothing_. 

They’d entered a long, empty hallway, lit only by an overhanging lamp letting off a soft, yellow glow. At the far end was _another_ door. _What was this place?_

She turned to look back at him with a curious frown. “Sergio, what the hell is this? What’s going on?”

He smiled down at her, clearly loving the confusion that was written all over her face. 

“Keep going”, he said, ushering her gently along the hallway, allowing her to lead the way.

As they approached the door and she reached for the handle, she turned back to face him once more with a mischevious glint in her eye.

“This better not be some awful haunted house experience, to get me back because of the trick I pulled with that bloody bunny weeks ago.”

He stared at her in mock disbelief for a moment, then said teasingly: “Would I ever?”

She laughed, throwing her head back as the sound escaped her. “Yes! Yes, you would.”

He couldn’t help but grin at her. “I promise you, you’ll love what’s on the other side of this door.”

She gave him a look, thoroughly unconvinced that he wasn’t winding her up, when she pushed open the door tentatively. “This better be romantic, or else I’ll-“

Her sentence was completely drowned out, for as soon as she opened the door she was greeted by a synchronised chorus of:

“SURPRISE!”

There in front of her, were the almost all the people she loved most in the world. Her sister, her friends, her cousins, Alicia. 

_Alicia_. 

She ran forward, enveloping her very best friend in her arms and squeezing her tight. They still spoke almost every day, but she hadn’t seen her since Madrid and she’d missed her like crazy; she had no idea she would see her before she left and the reality of her being there on this final night meant _everything_.

“What are you doing here? I spoke to you yesterday and you were in London!”

Alicia laughed, “I _was_ in London, Sergio called me this morning asking if I could get a last minute flight to a surprise farewell party for you. So, I hopped on a plane and here I am!”

Raquel laughed in delight, she couldn’t believe Sergio had gone to all this trouble. She turned to see him standing awkwardly in the doorway, talking quietly with her sister. He looked up and she caught his eye, she mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to him before turning her attention back to Alicia and the rest of the people who had come to say goodbye to her.

After a good thirty minutes of mingling and thanking everyone for making the effort to come and see her off, Raquel sought out Sergio, who was leaning against the bar, talking animatedly with two of her cousins. 

She approached him from behind, her hand snaking around his waist to get his attention. He excused himself from her relatives, turning to face her, grinning down at her in delight. 

“So... good surprise?” he asked.

She grabbed his lapel and tugged him close to press a definite kiss to his lips, before whispering: “the best. How did you manage to pull this off?”

He felt his insides melt when she looked at him like that, her beautiful, dark eyes so full of adoration and gratitude, he’d move the earth for her if he could. 

“Well”, he started, “Y-you looked so sad last night at the reality of leaving, so when you were taking a nap this morning, I made a few calls and set up a little going away party... so you could say goodbye to as many people as possible, with a drink to celebrate.”

She looked around the grand room, taking in once more the soft fairy lights, the pink and red balloons floating overhead, the ‘bon voyage’ banners hanging from the walls, it was cosy and intimate - it was _perfect_. 

“It’s just wonderful”, she whispered, then leaned in for another kiss, which he returned happily. 

“I’m glad you think so”, he said as they broke apart again. “You should thank your sister too, she did most of the hard work for me.”

“She did?” Raquel asked with surprise, raising an eyebrow. Her sister liked Sergio, but there was still a little awkwardness between the two of them, so the fact that she’d helped him with this delighted her. 

“Yeah, she sorted the guest list and the venue. I told her I wanted it to be somewhere private, just us... she said she knew of a private bar and that the owner owed her a favour - and here we are.”

She smiled, “who would have thought that you two would make the perfect team.”

He laughed. “W-well, we may have our slight differences, but we both agree on one thing.”

She bit her lip, then looked up at him knowingly, she knew what the _thing_ was, but she still wanted to hear him say it anyway. 

“And what’s that?”

He reached out to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, tracing his thumb over her bottom lip, “how much we love you, of course.”

Raquel looked away shyly, a blush gracing her cheeks at his words - he could always render her speechless with his sheer honesty and openness. 

“And what about Alicia, I take it she’s here because of you”, she murmured after a moment, lifting her gaze to look into his eyes once more. 

He nodded, “I knew you would want her here, more than anyone else. I gave her a call this morning... I didn’t even have to beg her, she said she’d be on the next flight, said she wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

She looked past his shoulder to see her best friend laughing with her sister, she loved her so much, more than she’d ever be able to explain to her. 

“She also sorted all the decorations”, he added, interrupting her thoughts. “The balloons, banners, fairy lights... all Alicia.”

She laughed. “Of course she did. She’s a perfectionist.”

He smiled, looking around the room at all the people who had come to say goodbye to Raquel. Everyone was laughing and smiling, and there was a warmth in the air that he couldn’t explain, but it bought him peace. Raquel and Paula had been surrounded by love and laughter in the years he’d been absent, and as he watched the people who loved Raquel, he was filled with gratitude and a feeling of rightness. There was no better way to spend this final night, he owed them all his thanks, he owed them _everything_. 

Raquel stepped into his arms, holding him close, almost as if reading his mind and wanting to savour the moment. 

“Well, thank you my love”, she muttered against his chest. “This is so special, the perfect way to say goodbye. I just wish my mama was here too - it’s a shame she had to babysit.”

He squeezed her tight, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

He chuckled before answering. “Believe me, I tried to convince her to come, but she assured me she’d rather spend the night with Paula, watching cartoons and eating ice cream. She wanted to be with her granddaughter, she’s going to miss her... she’s going to miss the both of you.”

Raquel swallowed back tears, her eyes closing as she nodded against him, “I’m going to miss her too, all of these people in this very room actually... so much.”

“Well then”, he said, untangling from her embrace and reaching down to clasp her hands. “Shall we go and spend this night with everyone then, send you off in style?”

“Yes”, she answered, nodding definitively, letting go of his hands to make her way towards her sister and Alicia. 

As he watched her go, he couldn’t help but admire her strength and courage to say goodbye to this life and follow him to a brand new one. A new life with their daughter, just the idea of it made his heart swell beyond measure. 

Raquel glanced over her shoulder to look him in the eyes, flashing him a heart-stopping smile that made his breath catch in his throat and his stomach do somersaults. They shared a look, both of them thinking the exact same thing - _I can’t wait for this new life to start, this new life that is ours for the taking_. 

In that moment, Sergio swore to protect her forever, for as long as she’d let him. 

He’d protect them both. 

_Always_. 

….  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments.. you know the drill by now!


	15. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family adjust to their new life in New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this, I so enjoyed writing it.

….  
….

“Where do you think we should put these plants?”

It was rapidly getting dark outside, the sun having just set. They had been in New York for three days and were finally unpacking the last of Raquel’s boxes from Barcelona. They’d taken their time sorting out the space, Sergio throwing out some of his old and unused belongings to make room for Raquel and Paula’s possessions - but he wouldn’t have had it any other way, the apartment was becoming a family home for the three of them before their very eyes. 

She frowned, eyeing the living room as she looked around. “Mmm... what about one next to the TV, and then the other on the top shelf over there on that wall?”

He nodded, moving to place the pots where she’d suggested. 

“There”, he said, as he took a step back once they were in position. “Perfect.”

She grinned widely. “All unpacked at last, it’ll be a relief to finally get them boxes out of here.”

The past three days had passed in a blur. The trio had left Barcelona with many a tear shed, not only by Raquel, but by her mother and sister too. Paula on the other hand had been full of beans and excitement for the entire journey, Sergio had told her there was a playground right below their apartment complex _and_ that their building had a swimming pool - once she found that out, it was impossible to dampen her spirit. The flight itself went without a hitch, Paula played on the iPad and slept the entire way, for which Raquel was _extremely_ grateful. She was exhausted from the stress of the final days before leaving and desperately wanted to sit and relax in peace for the whole journey, and Sergio was more than happy to watch their daughter to allow her to do just that. 

It was around ten o’clock in the evening when they’d arrived at the apartment, Paula already fast asleep in her papa’s arms as they made their way upstairs. Sergio and Raquel were so tired, that they piled into bed with Paula in the middle of them and fell straight to sleep. In hindsight, Raquel wondered if maybe Sergio should have come back a few days earlier to make the place ready for a three year old, but they would manage just fine, and the next morning they woke up and started making Sergio’s apartment a family home. The furniture arrived from Barcelona in the early afternoon on their first day, and they had Paula’s bedroom ready and complete by bedtime, rocking chair and all. 

But now, finally, after three long days, the apartment was complete, and every last item had been unpacked and put in place. The only thing left to get in order was their sleeping pattern, the jet lag was still well and truly messing them up and Raquel wondered how much longer they could all function on empty. The first night had been filled with such exhaustion that they’d all slept through without moving, but after the novelty had worn off and they’d caught up on sleep, all three of them had struggled to get used to the time zone they were now living on. Raquel couldn’t handle the thought of another restless night with a crying Paula, and was grateful when Sergio suggested they go out for a while before putting her down for the night. 

“Why don’t we take a wander around the block now we’re all done? We’ve already eaten, and you’ve barely seen any of New York yet, we’ve been shut up here for the majority of the days unpacking and organising.”

Raquel walked up to him and pressed a grateful kiss to his cheek as he smiled. She glanced over his shoulder to watch Paula, who was playing soundly with bunny and her new teddies that they’d bought her the very first day they arrived, they’d treated her for being _such a good girl_ on the airplane. 

“Sure, we still have another hour or so before we need to put her to bed, a walk will hopefully tire her out. Let me just go and change quickly... watch her for a minute.” 

But before Raquel could get very far, Paula was up and running after her, bunny firmly in hand. The little girl had been clingy to her since they’d arrived, not wanting to be apart from her mama for any waking moment, but they’d both expected her to be like that - she was only three after all, and although she was taking it all in her stride and behaving, it was still a rather big change in a short amount of time. 

Sergio smiled as he watched Raquel reach back and take Paula’s hand gently in her own, disappearing around the corner and out of sight. He turned back around to fiddle with the items he’d placed on the shelf a while earlier, straightening photo frames and moving the pot plant ever so slightly. He wanted their home to be perfect - and he knew that it was - but he couldn’t help fiddling and making final touches. With his mind wandering, he didn’t notice his arm nudge a candle off the edge of the shelf until it was too late, and it fell to the ground with a thud. 

“Shit”, he whispered as he bent down to pick it up, inspecting it for any damage and relieved it hadn’t smashed. 

As he stood upright and placed the candle back in its rightful place, he noticed a certain someone out of the corner of his eye, standing close behind him, watching his every move. 

He turned suddenly, stopped in his tracks by his daughter’s delighted grin beaming up at him. Even though she wasn’t entirely settled in her new home just yet, she was still just as happy and loving every second of the day.

“Hello you, I thought you’d gone with your mama to get ready for our walk, no?”

She shook her head firmly, lifting bunny to wedge him under her arm. She stared at Sergio intently, titling her head slightly and looking at him inquisitively. She had a certain look in her eye, and he should have seen it coming, he really should have, but he was still struck dumb when she finally blurted out:

“Shit.”

His eyes widened in shock, the reality of what she’d just said sinking in. Of course _he’d_ be the one to teach her to swear, of course he would have. This was just his bloody luck.

“No. No, no. _No_ , Paula... no. We mustn’t say that word.” 

“Shit”, she simply repeated, giggling up at him, her face the picture of perfect innocence.

He sighed, looking to the ceiling in search of an answer. Anxiety and panic were seeping into his bones as his darling baby girl cursed in front of him, even though she found the whole situation highly amusing, to his absolute chagrin. He wanted to laugh at the situation, he really did, but he needed to stop her before she said it in front of Raquel. He crouched down in front of Paula, clutching her little hands in his as he looked into her mischievous, wide eyes. 

“Paula, that’s a naughty word. Papa shouldn’t have said it, I’m sorry, b-but you mustn’t say it anymore, okay. Promise me?”

He waited with bated breath as his daughter tilted her head once more, looking deep into his eyes, giving him a look that quite clearly said _‘as if’_. 

Sergio realised he needed to try a different tactic. 

“Listen”, he whispered. “If you promise not to say that word ever again, I’ll take you for ice cream tomorrow.”

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, hoping he’d lured her in and she’d taken the bait, but before she could answer, Raquel breezed into the room, smiling at the both of them.

“What are you two whispering about over there? Are you conspiring against me?”, she teased. 

Sergio stood, his eyes wandering all around the room, praying his little girl wouldn’t throw him under the bus. 

“N-nothing, we were just... w-waiting for you.”

Raquel furrowed her eyebrows, chuckling as she eyed him up and down, not believing him for a single second, but sensing his obvious discomfort at _something_ and deciding not to push it... not right now anyway. 

“Hmm, right. Well... come on then, let’s go.”

He watched as Paula wandered towards Raquel, placing bunny on the couch so that she could hold her arms out for her mama to put her coat on and zip it up. 

Sergio couldn’t help but exhale unsteadily. It seemed as though he’d gotten away with it, and hopefully his daughter had already forgotten her newfound taste for swearing. 

Within five minutes, the three of them were out in the fresh air and walking slowly along the quiet street, Paula safe in the middle of her parents, clutching tightly at their hands. It was a lovely evening, it had just gotten dark, there was a gentle breeze around them and the distant sound of vehicles honking could be heard. A calm contentment settled over them all as they allowed their senses to soak up their surroundings, and in that moment Raquel knew she had made the right decision in moving their perfect family to New York. 

Glancing sideways to look at her, Sergio grinned in satisfaction when he noticed the serene smile on her face, her eyes wildly scanning the street before them, as if she didn’t know where to look but wanted to take every possible thing in at once. He was glad she looked so happy, _she made him happy_. Happiness was what she deserved. 

“So”, he interrupted, “three days in... what are we thinking?”

She snapped out of her daze and looked over at him, biting her lip as she pondered his question.

“I’m thinking... I love it and can’t believe I didn’t move here years ago.”

He chuckled, looking down at Paula who was still holding firmly onto their hands, humming quietly to herself as she watched a couple walk past with a dog. 

“Well... I’m glad you love it. I can’t wait for us to properly be settled and for it to really feel like home.”

She nodded, “Once we have the jet lag sorted and I can start looking for jobs I think we’ll be fine. It already feels like home, anywhere feels like home when I’m with you two.”

Sergio lowered his head and smiled shyly, a faint blush filling his cheeks. He knew she loved him, knew she adored their family, but he didn’t think he’d ever get used to hearing her proclaim her love for him, it was the greatest feeling in the world. 

As the trio made a turn and walked through a gateway into an expansive park, Paula let go of her parents hands, turning to Raquel with a question in her eyes. “I run, mama?”

Raquel scrunched her nose, pretending to ponder for a moment, “okay, but don’t go too far ahead honey, it’s dark and we won’t be able to see you.”

Paula clapped in glee and made a run for it, skipping in front of her parents, every now and then looking over her shoulder to check they were still close by. They walked along behind her, hand in hand, slowly following and allowing her to run and burn off some energy before returning home for bedtime. 

“I really hope she sleeps tonight, I don’t think I can cope with another night of her waking every couple of hours. She hasn’t been this bad since she was a baby.”

Sergio nodded before replying. “They say you catch up with an hour of jet lag a day. So if that calculation is anything to go by, we still have a few more nights to go before she sleeps through.”

“Oh god”, Raquel whispered. “You can get up tonight if she wakes, I’m ignoring her”. 

He laughed as he let go of her hand, moving to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. 

“Trust me, that doesn’t bother me in the slightest”, he paused to press a kiss to her temple. “But you’re the one she calls out for, not me.” 

Before Raquel could respond, Paula tripped and fell to the ground with a thud, and Sergio rushed forward to lift the little girl back on to her feet. He crouched down in front of her, brushing the dirt off her knees and hands, waiting and hoping she didn’t burst into delayed tears after the shock wore off. 

“Whoops, that was a big fall!” he exclaimed, pressing kisses to her palms repeatedly, desperately trying to ease her obvious uncertainty. “You all good?”

Paula nodded, unable to speak just yet, she still wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.

Raquel moved in front of them both, bending to press a kiss to her daughters forehead. “You’re okay. But maybe no more running tonight, hold our hands and let’s go home.”

“Okay”, the little girl murmured solemnly, her face suddenly serious, tears brimming her eyes.

Sergio stood upright and lifted her up and onto his shoulders, hoping to bring the smile back to her face. As expected, Paula couldn’t help but let out a joyful giggle as he positioned her and starting running, making her bop up and down, peals of laughter suddenly bursting from her. 

Satisfied she wasn’t going to cry anymore, Sergio stopped abruptly and turned with a smile to watch as Raquel walked in their direction, but the sudden movement caused the little girl to jerk backwards. Sergio was holding her tightly, so there was no danger of her falling, but Paula didn’t know that, and as she reached out to grab a fistful of his hair in panic, she shouted:

“Shit!”

Sergio froze. 

Raquel froze. 

But Paula laughed, she found the whole ordeal _entirely_ entertaining. Her panic having subsided, she wiggled on her papa’s shoulders, kicking her little feet to urge him to start running again. 

Raquel shook her head as she walked up to them, stopping and glaring up and into her daughters eyes, then lowering her gaze to Sergio, who looked as though he wanted to be _anywhere_ else in that moment. 

“Excuse me, you mustn’t say that word young lady”, she said seriously, reaching out to hold Paula’s chin, not allowing her to look away. 

“Sorry mama.”

“ _Ever_ ”, Raquel added in her sternest voice. 

“Okay, mama. I promise.”

Raquel nodded, lowering her hand and looking at Sergio once more, raising an eyebrow at him and waiting for him to explain. 

He swallowed nervously, “ I said it earlier w-without knowing she was there, and she repeated it. I thought I’d convinced her not to say it again, b-but apparently not... I’m sorry.”

She took hold of one of his hands, tugging him forward to begin their journey home. 

Quietly she sniggered, not allowing their daughter to hear or see. 

“So now it makes sense why you were being so weird before we left the apartment”, she whispered in his ear. “I have to admit, I’m trying my hardest not to burst out laughing. When they come out with things they aren’t supposed to, it’s so hard to keep a straight face.”

He looked sideways at her, his brows furrowing, “y-you’re not angry?”

“Of course I’m not angry, Sergio. It’s an easy mistake, I guess we just need to watch the language around her now she’s listening to us more. You’d be shocked if you knew some of the things I’ve taught her over the years.”

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he asked, “oh yeah, like what?”

“Well”, she rolled her eyes in preparation. “I’m not proud of this, and I swore Alicia to secrecy. But last year, when we were in London, we left an empty wine bottle on the floor and the next morning Paula got her grabby little hands on it. She would not put it down, she wouldn’t sleep without it for the rest of our stay. _Two days_... two days I had to watch her cuddling an empty bottle of red wine, she’d scream _bloody_ murder when I tried to take it off her - she even gave up bunny for it. We couldn’t leave Alicia’s apartment for the whole trip, I couldn’t let people see my daughter with an empty wine bottle as a toy.”

Sergio laughed heartily before Raquel shushed him, not wanting their daughter to hear the conversation. 

“So no, cariño, I’m not angry at you at all. Let’s call this a parental learning curve for you.”

He exhaled loudly, “thank god, I thought you’d be livid. I wanted to laugh earlier, but I had to hold it together and try to bribe her not to say it again.”

She giggled again, “what did you bribe her with?”

“Ice cream. I thought I was on to a winner... but, apparently not. The opportunity to swear was clearly too good to resist.”

Raquel looked up at Paula, satisfied to see she wasn’t listening to their conversation and instead was watching the passing buildings and lights with intense interest. 

“Mmm, ice cream is always a winner. I think you would have succeeded, had she not been shocked into saying it when she thought she was going to fall off your shoulders.”

He hummed in response, “are you sure she won’t say it again?”

She looked sideways at him and smiled, “no. But I used my sternest face, and she knows she shouldn’t say it... so hopefully it’ll stick.”

“I’m praying she won’t, I’ll be mortified if she ever says that in public... imagine other parents at the park hearing a beautiful, little toddler dropping bombs like that!”

Raquel laughed loudly, leaning into his shoulder, “she’ll have forgotten by the morning, don’t worry.”

Paula leaned over Sergio’s head, looking down at her parents, wondering why they were laughing without her. The three of them _usually_ laughed together after all. 

“What funny, mama?” she asked innocently, tapping Raquel on the forehead. 

“Oh nothing, my little love”, Raquel answered, reaching out to take her off of Sergio’s shoulders and in to her arms now that they were back at their apartment complex. “Now let’s head inside and get ready for bed shall we?”

Paula nodded, her heavy eyes blinking with tiredness as she settled her head in the crook of her mama’s neck. “Yes, please.”

Sergio smiled as he watched them cuddled together and enter the building, entirely convinced he’d spend the rest of his life making sure they were as happy and satisfied as they looked at this very moment in time. 

….

Although their evening walk had tired her out and she’d immediately gone to bed, Paula still woke up at two in the morning, calling for Raquel as she’d done every night since they’d arrived in New York. 

As Sergio laid in bed, now wide awake, he could hear his daughter’s wails getting increasingly louder and more distraught by the minute. He was just about to get out of bed to offer Raquel some help, when she came wandering back into their bedroom, Paula wrapped around her neck with tears streaking her rosy cheeks and bunny in hand. 

“She’s not drifting back off, I can’t sit in that rocking chair with her anymore, I’m exhausted Sergio... She’ll have to sleep in with us tonight.”

He nodded, scrambling up in the bed and adjusting the cushions so that Raquel could lay their little girl in the middle of them comfortably.

Once they were all snugly under the covers, Paula immediately reached for Raquel and settled herself against her, not content to be a millimetre away from her mama. 

Sergio reached out a hand to stroke his daughter’s back with gentle fingers, hoping his featherlight caresses would calm her trembling sobs. 

“Why is she being so clingy to you, this isn’t like her, is it?”

Raquel shook her head, her cheek rubbing against Paula’s soft curls, “no, not at all... but, she is only three after all. She’s jet lagged, living in a new home, it’s a big change for such a little person... it’ll probably take her a few weeks to adjust.”

“Mmm, I suppose”, Sergio replied, shuffling closer to the two of them and wrapping his arm around Raquel’s waist to pull them both cosily towards him, the girl sandwiched securely between their warm bodies. “I just wish I could make this easier for us all, especially you. It’s hard enough to adjust to all of this, let alone with no sleep.”

Raquel closed her eyes and breathed in her daughter’s scent, feeling that she’d finally drifted back off to sleep in her arms. She rolled onto her back, pulled Paula onto her chest and held her tight, the little girl safely protected from the rest of the world in her mama’s loving embrace.

“We’ll be okay”, she replied sleepily, already feeling herself slip back into slumber. “She’ll adjust sooner or later.”

Sergio hummed in response, eventually seeing her breathing even out as well, and watched the two loves of his life sleep peacefully beside him for a while. He adjusted his arm that was draped across Raquel’s hip and moved it up to wrap around Paula’s back, hugging both of his girls close. As he stared at the two of them, watching their serene faces that were identical as they slept, he came up with an idea, an idea to make Paula feel happier and more at home in this new city - he just hoped Raquel would like his plan. 

He smiled to himself, thinking of how he could pull this off without her knowing and wondered whether she would agree. But when he thought of his daughter’s face, and just how happy she would be, he knew Raquel would love it too... _eventually_. 

Mentally organising how he would set the wheels in motion, he drifted off to sleep with his family in his arms and a smile on his face. 

….

Two weeks had passed in a flash, and the family were finally settled and over their jet lag. Paula was full of beans throughout the day, making her parents laugh and keeping them on their toes, but most importantly, she was _finally_ sleeping through the night. 

It was early morning and Sergio had woken Raquel in her favourite way. He’d spent minutes on end, kissing her entire body and gently stroking her all over, before finally going down and waking her in the most blissful way imaginable. She’d tugged at his hair and moaned his name, and after he’d made her come twice and woken her fully, she rode him until he was gasping and gripping at her hips in utter delight, eventually coming undone below her lustful gaze. 

Afterwards, they’d laid entwined in each other’s arms, Raquel quietly dozing and cherishing the peace before Paula awoke. Eventually, Sergio slipped out from under her and quietly dressed, trying to sneak out without being noticed, tiptoeing to the bedroom door as silently as he could manage. 

“Sergio? Where are you going?” she hoarsely called out, her voice laced with tiredness as she opened one eye to watch him. 

He jumped in surprise, turning on the spot and walking back over to her. 

“I just need to pop out somewhere, I won’t be long.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Where?”

He sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to brush a tendril of hair out of her face. He stroked her cheek gently and then linked her hand with his, “it’s a surprise”. He leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, “but I won’t be long.”

Raquel chuckled, turning her face into the pillow. “Okay, I hope it’s a nice surprise though.”

He laughed in delight. “When are my surprises anything but nice”, he teased. 

She turned onto her back, giving him a glimpse of her naked chest. 

“I know what you’re doing”, he whispered, swallowing loudly as he eyed her body greedily. 

“Oh yeah? What am I doing?” she murmured, slowly running her hand up his thigh.

Sergio stood abruptly, backing away from her with a smile on his face.

“You’re trying to seduce me in to telling you... b-but I won’t crack. It’s a surprise.”

She laughed as she winked at him seductively, before they were interrupted by Paula calling out, letting them know she was up and ready for the fun of the day. Raquel climbed out of bed, tugged on her dressing gown and stepped close to him, she pressed a final kiss to his lips before sauntering out of the room in order to fetch their daughter. 

He shook himself out of his trance, reminding himself of where he needed to go, he shrugged on his coat and set off to finally fetch the surprise he’d been planning for two weeks. The city was quiet and it didn’t take him long to sort everything and return home to Raquel and Paula. He couldn’t wait to see their faces, especially his little girl’s, he knew this would earn him _all_ the brownie points. 

Opening the front door quietly, he crept into their apartment, placed the box by the entrance and snuck down the hall to find them dancing in the living room, jumping about together as they listened to Raquel’s Van Morrison playlist. He watched them for a few long moments, listening to them laugh and hop around in unbridled joy, he couldn’t stop the smile from taking over his entire face, their happiness was everything. 

Eventually he stepped into their line of sight and Paula noticed him immediately. 

“Papa!” she shouted, as she flung her tiny body at his legs and reached up towards him. 

He lifted her into his arms and pressed sloppy kisses to her cheeks repeatedly, only stopping when she begged for mercy and laughingly pushed him away. 

As he adjusted her in his embrace, he waited for Raquel to lower the volume of the music so he could speak to them both. He walked further into the room and set Paula on the couch, kneeling in front of her to clasp her hands and stroke her knuckles gently. 

“Paula, papa has a little present for you, would you like to see it?”

Her eyes widened in delight and she bopped up and down in her seat with excitement. 

“Yes!”

Sergio laughed, lifting her hands to give them a kiss, “have you been a good girl for mama though, that’s the question...”

Paula nodded seriously before answering, “have papa, promise.”

“Hmm”, he averted his gaze to look at Raquel who was slowly approaching them. “Has she, mama?”

She settled onto the couch next to their daughter, scratching her chin as she pretended to think it over. “Let me see, has Paula been a good girl this morning...”

The little girl swivelled in her seat, rising to kneel on the cushion and grab Raquel’s face with her chubby hands. “Have mama! I have!”, she exclaimed. 

Raquel laughed in delight, leaning forward to press a kiss to Paula’s nose. “Yes, you have cariño, you’ve definitely earned a present.”

The little girl exhaled dramatically, relieved she was allowed to receive her surprise and turned back towards Sergio, who was now getting up and disappearing down the hall. 

“Now”, he called back as he vanished from sight, “this is a big girl present, so it means you have to be responsible and look after it.” 

He reentered the living room, box in hand, and the look on both of their faces was priceless. They were sat on the couch, hand in hand, their expressions serious as they stretched their necks trying to see what all the fuss was about. 

As he lowered the big, brown box to the ground in front of him, he crouched down, beckoning Paula closer. She scrambled down from where she was sat and tentatively stepped towards her papa, her hands clasped together and tucked against her chest. Her eyes were inquisitive as she stared at the box, and she looked _so_ small and precious, that for a moment, Sergio entirely forgot what he was going to say.

“Do you think you can be a big girl if I give you this present?”, he whispered, after taking a moment to watch his baby girl lovingly. 

Paula tore her gaze away from the box and looked in to Sergio’s eyes, her face breaking into a smile as she murmured her reply. “I can, papa.”

Raquel rose from the couch to stand behind the little girl, peering over her shoulder, wondering what the _hell_ he was about to gift their daughter.

He chuckled at Paula’s seriousness, “open the box then honey, see what’s inside.”

She studied his face for a second to make sure he was serious, then glanced over her shoulder to take a look at her mama. Raquel ran her fingers through Paula’s soft curls and crouched down next to her, wrapping an arm around the girl’s waist as she whispered, “go on then, open it up my darling.”

Reaching out with little fingers, Paula tugged at the lid, lifting it off and standing on her tiptoes to peek over the top. 

Her eyes went wide and she squealed loudly, jumping up and down on the spot as she finally discovered what had been bought for her. 

“Bunny! Baby bunny!”, she exclaimed joyfully. 

Sergio laughed at her excitement, reaching to lift the sleeping bunny out of the box and held it closer for Paula to inspect. 

The little girl threw herself onto the floor next to him, crossing her legs and reaching out with grabby fingers, desperate to get her hands on her new pet.

“Now, you must be gentle with him, hold him carefully”, he urged, placing the tan and white rabbit into her lap. 

She immediately bent forward to press gentle kisses to its head. “Hello baby, shh bunny”, she whispered, her voice mimicking the way that Raquel always spoke to her endearingly. 

Sergio sat back, watching her shower the pet with love, surprised but not shocked to see how gentle she was being. He knew this would be the perfect present for her, it would give her some responsibility and make her feel more at home and adjusted to the change. 

“Is this a good surprise then? Do you think you can look after your new bunny?”

Paula didn’t even lift her head, she stared dreamily at the animal in her lap, stroking its ears as she mumbled, “yes, papa. Thank you.”

He leant over to press a kiss to her forehead, “You’re welcome my darling. You’re so very welcome.”

Raquel cleared her throat, which caused Sergio to look up and into her wide eyes, her eyebrows raised in shock.

“A bunny!”, she mouthed dramatically, “seriously?”

He laughed quietly, standing up and stepping closer to face her. 

“I thought it would make her happy, one last thing to really settle her here and make her feel at home. Don’t be mad”, he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing open mouthed kisses to her neck.

She surrendered to his lips, wrapping her arms around him and sighing as she said, “seriously Sergio, where the hell is that thing going to live.”

“We can put a cage on the balcony so it sleeps outside”, he mumbled against her soft skin, “and then in the day it can come in here... it’ll be a house rabbit. We have the rooftop garden too, we can take it up there on warmer days - come on, Raquel... how can you be mad when she’s this happy.”

He pulled away from her slightly to look down at their daughter, who was still delicately cuddling her new bunny, whispering soft words to him, stroking him gently between his fluffy ears. 

Raquel huffed in mock annoyance, before smiling broadly and pressing a kiss to his lips. “You’re right. Thank you. Although I want to be mad that you’ve bought an animal into this apartment, I can’t be. I’m so grateful for you and everything you keep doing for us.”

Sergio smiled shyly, lowering his gaze, but she grabbed his chin and forced him to look back at her. 

“I mean it”, she whispered. “Everything is better now we have you back in our lives. Look at us, living here, as a family... I would never have dreamt this possible a year ago. But this is it now, the three of us.”

He sniggered quietly. “You mean the four of us”, he gestured to the bunny in their daughters arms, the new addition to their family. 

She threw her head back as she laughed, “the four of us. This is it Sergio...”, she repeated, “...forever.”

He eyed her curiously, amazed that she always knew just what to say. He was still slightly overwhelmed and disbelieving that this was his reality, this was actually _his_ life. 

She stroked his chest and pressed a kiss to his lips, her tongue sneaking out to tangle with his for a brief moment. 

She pulled back, eyes still closed as she brushed her nose against his and breathed him in. 

“Forever”, he whispered in reply. “I promise you both, this is forever.”

She hummed in agreement, burrowing her face into his neck and holding him tight. As he held her close and watched his daughter play lovingly with her new pet, he realised that this was what life was made of. Small moments, happy moments, laughter, joy and endless amounts of love. 

This was only the beginning of their new life, and although they’d been through their fair share of struggles and hardship, he knew for certain that the ghosts of the past were firmly behind them. 

They were moving forward, the three of them... _together_.

….  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only the epilogue left, I’ll have it with you all on Christmas Eve. :)


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten months later..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so this is it! The epilogue to end this story. To say I am sad is an understatement.. I have LOVED writing about this gorgeous, little family so very much and it’s hard to say goodbye. This year has been difficult for me in my personal life, and I’ve really found this story an escapism and a joy to write. All of you in this fandom are so wonderful and welcoming, and the support you have shown for this story has truly blown me away.  
> This is it for GOTP for now, but if inspiration strikes, I will definitely be back with some one shots of this AU.. hopefully one day soon. (I will admit I have a possible one shot up my sleeve already, but nothing I feel ready to write for a while yet.)
> 
> But for now, please enjoy and join me in saying goodbye to this beautiful trio.

….  
….

_TUESDAY_

“Absolutely not!”

Sergio rolled his eyes as he followed her out of their bedroom, “Come on, Raquel... he can sleep on the couch. It’s only for three nights.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to face him, “Yes, exactly. It’s three nights, Sergio... _three_! That’s three too many in my opinion.”

They’d been living in New York for ten months, and everything still felt like a dream. Paula was well and truly settled, and having just been enrolled at a local kindergarten, was happier than ever before - she was talking more, sleeping better, and making her parents laugh constantly. Raquel had been working with a local graphic design company for the last five months and was loving every minute - the work load was more manageable than it had ever been in Barcelona, and her boss allowed her to work from home on the days that Paula didn’t have daycare. And Sergio... he _still_ couldn’t believe this was his reality, his life was completely different from before - a hundred times _better_ than before. He still worked as a travel photographer, but opted for more local projects, ones that only took him away for a day or two at a time, and ones where he could hop on a flight and be home in a couple of hours if Raquel needed him to. He’d made sure to limit his work trips to once a month, because truth be told, he didn’t want to leave his family for a single minute longer than he had to. 

Everything had been falling into place around them, and although they’d speak to their loved ones weekly, it was a shock when ten months had passed in a flash and no-one had yet been to visit them to see what their new lives entailed. When Raquel had solemnly mumbled one Sunday that she missed her mother, Sergio had set the wheels in motion, organising a trip for their family and friends to come and visit for a week. The planning went smoothly, Mariví, Laura, Alicia and Ágata were all flying in from various locations, and Raquel was bursting with excitement at the prospect of seeing everyone after months apart. 

But now, three days before their loved ones arrival, Sergio had informed Raquel that Andrés had decided last minute to fly in and join them all for a few days - even though he’d said _several_ times that work wouldn’t allow him to come. The problem now was that all the nearby hotels were fully booked, and of course he’d asked if he could crash on their couch for a few nights. _Over Raquel’s dead body._

“I’m sorry cariño, I don’t want to be a bitch, but he can’t stay here”, she continued, moving towards him to wrap her arms around his waist. “We have a young child, she needs to be able to relax here, she needs to... t-to be able to have some downtime in the evenings with just us. What she doesn’t need - what _none_ of us need, is to have Andrés sauntering in at god knows what time. I love him, of course I do... but no.”

He nodded. He knew she was right, but he didn’t like the idea of telling his best friend that, especially since he’d more or less told him that convincing Raquel wouldn’t be an issue. 

“What am I meant to say to him?” he mumbled, his shoulders slouching with the stress of it all. 

Raquel pressed her body closer to him still and placed a lingering kiss on his lips before speaking. “Tell him, the three of us are going to be exhausted from entertaining everyone all day long... tell him, we need to have some time just us without anyone else around.. tell him-“

Sergio chuckled as he interrupted her, “tell him no...”

She smiled shyly, “pretty much. I’m sorry, I know he’s your best friend, but this apartment just isn’t big enough for all of us. And anyway, him and Martín only moved to Vancouver last month, it’s not like we haven’t seen them recently.”

He nodded and mumbled, “I know... I know.”

She kissed him again, deepening it for a long moment to try and make him feel better. Her tongue tangled with his as she hummed with contentment against his mouth for a minute longer. 

“Can you finish getting her ready whilst I sort breakfast?”, she asked as they broke apart for air. “Also, the bunny needs to go in his hutch before we leave, I’d catch him while he’s still sleeping if I were you... before he makes a run for it and you can’t corner him.”

Right on cue, Paula came tearing down the hall towards them, pigtails flying, chasing her furry friend in question. 

“Pickles!”

She ran past her parents, who were still wrapped in each other’s arms and flew around the living room, trying in vain to catch her trusty companion. 

“Pickle! Come back here!”, she repeated, her voice trying - _and failing_ \- to sound as stern as possible.

Sergio laughed as he moved away from Raquel to help their daughter in her mission.

“Paula honey, stop running. I’ve told you before, the more you chase him, the more he will run. You have to approach him _slowly_... like this.”

He stepped past his daughter and crouched down to pick up the rabbit, who was now sitting calmly, watching them both with curiosity. He turned and kneeled before their little girl, demonstrating how to successfully catch Pickle without making him run away. 

“See”, he murmured as he stroked the bunny, “just like that.” He put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, allowing her to gently pet the rabbit before he put him in his hutch for the day.

“I trying papa, I really trying”, she whispered, tears brimming her eyes all of a sudden as she tickled between her bunny’s ears. 

“Hey, hey... why the tears?” 

Paula sniffled as she rubbed at her eyes with her fist. “He doesn’t listen to me... not ever”, she whispered, as her bottom lip jutted out and her gaze dropped to the floor. 

Sergio smiled softly, glancing over her head to take a peek at Raquel, the two of them sharing a look of adoration for their daughter who was turning into the most sensitive and caring of souls. 

“He will listen to you”, Sergio whispered, taking ahold of her chin to look in her eyes. “You just need to be calm when trying to catch him - that’s all. Here... you take him”, he said, placing the rabbit into Paula’s arms. “Look how relaxed he is now, see... come on, let’s put him in his hutch. We need to have our breakfast so mama can take you to kindergarten and get to work on time.” 

He stood upright and placed a hand on Paula’s back, gently ushering her towards the balcony. Raquel watched the two of them with tears suddenly filling her eyes, her baby girl was getting so big, but whenever she saw her next to Sergio, she was reminded of just how little and precious she still was. She treasured these moments, the quiet times of the day where there was nothing but love and devotion filling their home... filling their hearts. She wiped a tear that had fallen down her cheek and shook herself, she really did need to sort breakfast if they wanted to leave by eight o’clock. It wasn’t until she dabbed at her eyes for the second time, that she realised she’d even been silently weeping in the first place... and just from watching her boyfriend with their child of all things - _get a grip Raquel_. 

_God. Why was she so emotional all of a sudden?_

….

_SUNDAY_

“Jesus, Raquel. That was incredible”, Sergio panted, as she collapsed onto his chest breathlessly, his hands tangling in her golden hair.

She laughed and rasped out, “I know... that ought to tire you out.”

“Yes, that’ll definitely be keeping me down for a while”, he replied hoarsely, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. 

Raquel slipped off of him and tucked herself into his side, her arm and leg flinging across his chest and hip as she got comfortable. 

Sergio turned his head to gaze at her, a smile taking over his entire face as he looked into her eyes. There was nothing more beautiful than her, she was _everything_ and more to him - the way her nose scrunched when she laughed, her unruly hair that always fell over her face, her wonderful laugh that he wanted to bottle up and keep in his pocket... all, utter perfection. He watched her in awe as she closed her eyes and sighed, perfectly content in his arms and radiating with a post coital glow; she exuded happiness - he was glad she was happy, _he_ made her happy, _he_ made her look like that. He was so in love with her, more and more with each passing day, he wanted to tell her, but the words evaded him as he watched and admired her snuggled up in his arms. 

With her eyes still closed she laughed. “You’re staring”, she admonished, teasingly. 

“Am I?”, he whispered in reply, “sorry.”

“What are you staring at”, she asked quietly, opening an eye to look at him, a shy smile breaking out on her face. Of course she knew what he was staring at... but she still liked to hear him say the words.

He couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke at her cheek, his fingers tracing the outline of her jaw, brushing along his favourite features gently, her perfect nose, her dainty neck, her wonderfully soft shoulders. He’d never get enough of her. 

“You”, he replied, his voice barely surpassing a whisper. “It’s always you.”

“Such a charmer”, she smiled, pressing open mouthed kisses to his neck repeatedly, her hand stroking nonsensical patterns over his chest. The way he always told her with such honesty made something flutter in her chest, it made her truly believe him, believe that she _really_ was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

He grinned, “am I a charmer if I’m simply telling the truth?”

She lifted her head to get a better look at him, leaning in to kiss him sweetly on the lips. He brushed his hand slowly down her body, over her waist, around her hip, over the swell of her buttock, finally grasping at her leg and lifting it higher over his hip as he caressed it. 

“Do you think your mother and Laura are okay?”, he asked after a minute or two.

She nodded as she settled her head against his chest, “they’ll be fine. It’s only one night we aren’t joining them for dinner. Besides, I know they were planning on meeting Ágata and Alicia for a drink afterwards, so they are probably drunk in a bar somewhere by now anyway.”

“I’m glad Ág is getting on so well with them, it’s nice to have her here too.”

Raquel hummed her agreement, “it is.” She brushed her hand lower, moving it from his chest to his stomach, stroking him delicately, a subtle flutter igniting within her once more. “She wants us all to visit the Statue of Liberty tomorrow, but I really don’t know if I can stomach that boat trip. I’ve been feeling a bit funny today, but I don’t want them to not go if I say _I’m_ not going.”

He pulled back to look down at her, studying her face intently as he stilled her wandering hand, “you have?”, he questioned. “Why didn’t you tell me this? A-are you feeling okay now?”

She gave a barely perceivable nod as she fiddled with his fingers. “I’m fine. Just tired from entertaining everyone probably. It’s why I told them all we needed a night, just us three tonight.”

Sergio smiled softly - the smile she loved so very much - and tugged at her hand to press gentle kisses to her knuckles. “Well take it easy tomorrow. If you’re feeling unwell just come home for a bit... have a sleep. Me and Paula can stay with everyone... okay?”

“Okay”, she agreed, as her wandering hand continued its journey down his body, _slowly_. 

He put up no fight this time, and welcomed her fully as she draped her naked body over his, coming to lie completely on top of him once more. She took his face in her hands, cradling it as she looked into his eyes. 

“Now, I think I need to tire you out some more, hmm?”

Sergio nodded affirmatively, his heart hammering in his chest. How had he got so lucky, to be here with the love of his life, her smile so pure and warm, always for him. She dropped a kiss onto the corner of his mouth, then his nose, then his eyelids as they fluttered closed. 

“Cariño...”, she murmured, as she dropped another kiss to his mouth, lingering there slightly longer this time. “I need you to do me a favour. _Please_.”

As he opened his eyes and looked into her soft, brown eyes, he took in her sudden mischievous expression. “What might that be?”, he murmured languidly, unable to keep the smile from his face. 

She pressed another sweet kiss to his lips, her thumbs brushing over his cheeks as her hips undulated against his teasingly, causing him to let out a low groan in excitement. 

“Make love to me again”, she whispered seriously, her eyes flitting between his eyes and his tantalising lips. 

“Again? This is the fourth time today, Raquel... what the hell have you been taking?”, he laughed, swallowing as he saw the fire in her eyes. _He’d never be able to say no to her._ His heart felt so full whenever he had her looking at him like that. 

She smirked, “oh, are you complaining?”

Just as he was about to give a retort back, she lowered her face again and kissed him passionately, it started slow but grew messy and hungry in a matter of seconds. Her lips were soft and he was completely swept away and put under her spell to even remember what he was going to say back to her - not that it mattered anyway, this was _far_ superior. She tasted irresistible, like peppermint and honey, and he couldn’t get enough... _would never get enough_. She pulled back slightly to catch her breath, but he only allowed her a second, before he grabbed her face with both hands and pulled her closer once more, his tongue sliding into her mouth and expertly tangling with hers.

Soon, kissing wasn’t enough, and as she moaned against his lips and scratched her nails against his chest, he rolled them over in one swift movement so that he was on top. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him tight as they kissed and kissed and kissed, for minutes on end. Her breathless moans were all the ignition he needed, and he ran his hands down the sides of her body, holding onto her for dear life as he rubbed against her over and over again. 

“I don’t see you complaining about my libido now”, she teased, reaching down to take hold of his member and guide it to her entrance. 

He let out a hoarse laugh as he brushed his nose against hers. “Well, four times in one day is a bit of a surprise, that’s all”, he replied breathlessly as he pushed into her, both of them sighing in unison as they came together. He struggled to continue with any coherent train of thought, but managed to get out in a hurried sentence: “But whatever the reason for this - I can assure you, I’m n-not complaining.”

She let out a loud moan as he finished speaking and began taking her with slow, unhurried strokes, the feeling of it so overwhelmingly good. Their rhythm was steady and sweet, and they allowed themselves to be swept away in it, the bliss of being together once more causing a warm feeling to take over them both.

Raquel hadn’t really thought much about it, but now Sergio mentioned it, her libido was particularly off the chart today - but why was that a bad thing? She was in love with her boyfriend and couldn’t get enough of him, who in their right mind would want to keep their hands off of him?

Before her mind could wander too far, she was bought back to the moment as Sergio pulled out of her a few inches and thrust back in, causing her to shudder and cry out as she clutched at his back. Her groaned into her neck and she held him close, the feeling of him filling her up over and over again making her feel so complete.

She didn’t care for the reason, how could she, not when the feeling of this was so wonderfully right in every single way.

….

_TUESDAY_

“Sergio, please... I really don’t like that”, she chuckled unsurely, reaching out nervously towards him and Paula. 

They were walking through Central Park, on their way to meet their family and friends for a picnic. It was another beautiful day in the city and they were happy to be spending it together and with their loved ones. They’d spent the morning at home, enjoying time just the three of them, before they’d packed up their things and ventured out, stopping by the grocery store on the way to pick up some snacks. Sergio was currently running ahead with a giggling Paula perched on his shoulders, she bobbed around as he ran and ran, before flying forward so he’d have to catch her as she fell whenever he stopped suddenly. It was a game they always played as it was one of Paula’s favourites, but as Raquel wandered along behind them watching, something wasn’t sitting right with her, and she decided that today, she didn’t like the game at all. 

“I’m okay mama!”, Paula chirped back as she looked over her shoulder with a confident smile. 

“I know honey, but it’s making mama a little bit nervous. Imagine if you were to fall!”

Sergio turned and smiled at Raquel, waiting for her to catch up and took her hand in his own. 

“We do this all the time and she’s always fine. You okay?”

She nodded unsurely, giving him her best smile, even though she knew he’d be able to see right through it. 

“You sure?”, he asked again, squeezing her hand reassuringly. 

“Honestly, I’m fine. She was just really shaking around up there and it was making me worried... that’s all.”

He let go of her hand to reach up and lift Paula off his shoulders, setting her back on the ground in front of them. 

“No more today cariño, you can do some running instead. Try and find everyone, see if you can spot them before us!”

Paula pouted forlornly as her brows furrowed and her shoulders slumped forward dramatically. “Ohhhh”, she huffed out.

“No sulking...”, he said. “Here take bunny”, he encouraged, handing her the cuddly toy that she accepted with a sigh - her and papa’s fun game was clearly over for today. 

As the little girl turned away and began running ahead of them, Sergio took Raquel’s hand in his own once more, turning to give her a smile. 

She clutched at his hand in gratitude, “thank you”, she mouthed, her voice barely surpassing a whisper. 

The trio continued walking, eventually finding their family and friends under the shade of a giant oak tree, Paula’s mood soon forgotten. As they greeted everyone and settled down on the picnic blanket, Sergio couldn’t keep his mind off of Raquel - something had bothered her and he wasn’t entirely sure what. He caught her eye and she gave him a breathtaking smile, and as he grinned back at her, his thoughts were instantly wiped blank. All he could think about was her, her happiness, her beauty, _her smile_.

Raquel kept his gaze for as long as he wanted, but as soon as he looked away, her expression dropped, she couldn’t deny that something was bothering her. _But what_?

….

_SATURDAY_

It had been a whirlwind of a week, full of fun and laughter and more kisses than Paula could ever have anticipated, but now their family and friends had returned home from their trip, with the promise of coming back to visit for Christmas and New Year. Paula had been thoroughly exhausted, barely able to stay awake to eat her dinner and had just been put down for the night. She went to sleep with a smile on her face, bunny clutched in her hand, and Pickle snuggled by her feet. She’d asked for her papa to read her a bedtime story, and Raquel had accepted the request with pleasure, she was grateful for the time alone to spend with her overactive mind - especially after a week of not feeling completely herself. 

She was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with a steaming cup of tea in her hands, when Sergio made his way back into the living room. He sunk onto the cushion next to her, taking her cup and placing it on the side table so that he could pull her into his side and wrap her in his arms. She breathed him in and closed her eyes, always grateful for him and his ability to know _exactly_ what she needed. 

He held her close for minute after minute, content to have her in his arms, but when she lifted the blanket to cocoon him in it with her, he broke the silence at last. 

“So, when are we going to talk about what’s bothering you?”

She tensed in his arms, and the reaction wasn’t lost on him. 

“W-what? Nothing’s bothering me”, she said, turning to smile up at him. 

He nodded skeptically as he looked at her, taking in the fake smile she was offering. 

“Really? Because you’ve been on edge for days now and I can see your mind working overtime. Talk to me, Raquel... what’s going on?”

She sighed loudly, looking away from him and resting her head on his chest. 

“I don’t know...”, she whispered, as she closed her eyes tightly to keep back tears. 

Sergio pressed a kiss to the top of her head, stroked her arm soothingly and waited for her to continue - but when she didn’t, he realised he needed to offer some insight to help her. 

He drew in a long breath and shakily exhaled, “is it because your mother and sister were here? Having them back with you, knowing they were only ten minutes away at all times?”

“Maybe”, she whispered, after a long moment of silence. 

He closed his eyes and leant his head back against the cushion, taking a few deep breaths to prepare himself for what he needed to ask next. 

“H-has it made you want to move back to Spain? To be closer to them?”

She turned so suddenly that he raised his hands in surrender, his face snapped down to look at her, taking in her wide eyes and mouth open in shock. 

“No! God, no. No, Sergio... it-it hasn’t. Not one little bit.”

He let out a sigh of relief, allowing himself to relax and embrace her once more.

“If anything”, she continued as she burrowed closer into his side, “it made me realise that it’s easy for them to come and visit. _No_ , this is our home now, don’t doubt that for a second.”

He couldn't resist leaning in to press a soft kiss to her rosy lips. 

“Then, what?”, he whispered as he pulled back and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. “What’s wrong?”

She averted her eyes, looking around the room, not knowing where to look, not _entirely_ knowing what to say. 

“I don’t know, Sergio. I don’t know what’s wrong, I-I’m just... I just felt a little overwhelmed seeing everyone I think. That’s all.”

He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to push her, not when she was clearly struggling to figure out what was going on in her mind anyway. 

“Okay”, he said. “But please, tell me if there’s anything bothering you. I want to be able to help you.”

She smiled at him, reaching out a hand to brush against his beard. He turned his face to press kisses to her palm, and her eyes filled with tears once more. What had she done to deserve a man like him? Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with the desire to voice this out loud. 

“I don’t deserve you”, she mumbled, never breaking his gaze, intent on making him understand just how much she loved him. 

“Come again?”, he asked, unsure of where this was coming from. 

She swallowed nervously, _why was she nervous... seriously, what was wrong with her?_ “You’re just so patient and kind... a-and you’re so loving to me, all the time. I’m sure I don’t deserve you.”

His hands came to tangle in her hair. He stared deep into her warm, brown eyes. “Now, listen to me. If anything, _I_ don’t deserve _you_... you’re funny, you’re a wonderful mother, not to mention you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met...”, he paused to chuckle lightly, pleased that she joined in with him. “You’re incredible Raquel, don’t ever forget that. I just want to be here for you, in _every_ single way... and I know when something’s bothering you - but it’s okay... I can wait. I know that you’ll tell me when you figure it out, because that’s what we do... we’re a team, you and me.”

“A team”, she repeated, as a tear trickled down her cheek. 

He leant in to kiss it away, before continuing. “Exactly. So don’t say you don’t deserve me, I love you far too much for words like that to not break my heart.”

She pressed her forehead against his, “I am so in love with you Sergio, god help me.”

He laughed as he pulled away, kissing her softly on the lips, a slow and languid kiss, filled with devotion and unbreakable love. 

As they broke apart for air, she pushed away from him, untangling herself from the blankets and getting to her feet. 

“Where are you going?”, he asked breathlessly. “I was hoping we could carry on...”, he said, as he raised his eyebrows suggestively. 

She brushed her hand against his cheek as she laughed, “Hold that thought. I’m just going to the bathroom, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He tugged on her hand so she fell slightly towards him, lowering her face to his for one last, quick kiss before she turned away and walked towards the bathroom. 

Once in there, she sat down on the edge of the bath and took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves as she closed her eyes. She opened the cupboard next to her and took out the box, reading over the instructions one last time, but she’d been here before... she knew what she needed to do. As she sat, waiting patiently, she let her mind wander back to when she’d been in this exact situation a few years ago. She’d dreamt of this moment, of being able to have Sergio with her, sharing the experience and journey with her, every single step of the way. But the reality had been far from that - she’d been alone. She shook herself, refusing to let her mind take her down that dark route, he was here now, and if, _if_ , this was what she thought it could be, he would be there with her from day one. 

She took another deep breath.

_Then another_... before she reached out to pick up the device with trembling fingers. 

She looked down at it, staring at the small screen, taking a moment to get her head around the result. 

It all felt a bit like a daydream, and as she ripped off a piece of toilet roll to wrap the test up and throw it in the bin, she rose to her feet and washed her hands. She took a minute to look at herself in the mirror, taking in the warm glow of her skin and the sheer joy radiating from her eyes. The past year had been the happiest she’d felt in years, having her daughter and the love of her life with her, the three of them together, they’d moved across the world as a family, and she’d been living in a wonderfully breathtaking dream that had been so unexpected, but so, so right - _and now_...

She turned and made her way out of the bathroom. As she walked down the hallway and reached him in the living room, he was still sat on the couch, waiting for her, _always waiting for her_ \- the man of her dreams - she felt like her heart would burst. He looked up at her and smiled, a gorgeous smile that made his dimples appear, then he opened his arms wide and she couldn’t stand to be apart from him for a second longer. She moved towards the couch and fell onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as he pulled the blanket up and over them.

As she looked into his eyes, so warm and inviting, she wondered how she would tell him. 

How would he react to the news, the realisation of why she had been out of sorts, the fact that _now_ , it was so obvious what had been wrong with her all week. Why she had been so emotional, why she had been nervous about Paula, why she had been _constantly_ moved to tears for no reason whatsoever... of course there was no other explanation, than this. 

She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled at him. The look in his eyes pulled something inside her, and she couldn’t resist leaning in to press her lips to his. 

She’d be fine this time round, she was fine the first time round after all, but there was no denying that she’d missed him every step of the way. But now... he was here, he was with her, and he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d be with her for every first, every appointment, and the fact she was pregnant wasn’t so scary this time round, not when he was there to share it with her. 

“Sergio”, she said, “I know what’s been going on with me, a-and I’ve just had confirmation.”

She pulled at his hand and placed it on her stomach, trapping it there with her hand. 

Obliviously, he replied: “Oh, you do? Are you ill?”

She laughed as she looked at him, sat underneath her, looking up at her from under his lashes, completely oblivious to what was going on and what she was trying to tell him. She squeezed his hand as he smiled shyly, and as she thought of the new life growing inside of her, she couldn’t remember ever being happier. _Him_ , ensconced with her, _their daughter_ , snug in bed down the hall, and their _new baby_ , safe and growing inside of her. 

She tugged on his hair slightly, pulling him closer until their lips were millimetres apart. 

“Well, no... not ill exactly...”

….  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it!  
> Again, I am so grateful to you ALL for taking the time to comment and let me know what you think. I would not have been able to continue or finish this story without you.


	17. ONE SHOT - Oh, baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following on from the epilogue, well.. almost 9 months later 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I’m back with a one shot! I thought it made more sense to tag it onto the end of this story rather than post as a whole new one. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. 💛

....  
....

“Paula, put your jacket on please”, Sergio asked his daughter as he quickly cleared the living room floor of her toys. “We need to go.”

The little girl nodded, _albeit unwillingly_ , her brows furrowed and a frown still etched on her face - her expression the same as it had been for the last hour or so. 

Sergio couldn’t help but laugh fondly at her sour expression. He knew why she was so mad, and really he should _try_ and talk to her about it before they left, but there was no convincing their stubborn daughter when she was in one of her moods - _that_ much he had learnt over the last two and a bit years of knowing her. It was a trait she’d inherited from her mother, and it was _not_ something he expected her to grow out of in a hurry. 

She stomped down their hallway, reaching for her jacket and shrugging it onto her slumped shoulders, Sergio just a few steps behind, watching her with an amused smile on his face.

“Ready papa”, she mumbled forlornly, bending down to pick up her cuddly bunny that she’d placed momentarily by her feet. 

Sergio chuckled softly, kneeling in front of her to zip up her jacket, pressing several kisses to her cheek once she was all wrapped up. 

“Cheer up cariño. We’re going to visit mama…”, he said in his cheeriest voice. “She’ll want to see your biggest smile when we get there - she hasn’t seen you in two days!”

Her lips twitched at that. No matter how bitter her mood, she’d always, _always_ be able to smile at the mention of Raquel. Paula loved her mama more than anything else in the world, a fact Raquel _loved_ to tease him with from time to time. Some days though, _some days_ , he was _definitely_ the favourite, especially if there was ice cream involved.

“Would you like to say goodbye to Pickle before we go? I’ve just put him away, but he won’t be asleep yet.”

Paula nodded solemnly, moving past Sergio with determined little steps in the direction of Pickle’s hutch - the only being in her life she wasn’t currently _furious_ with. 

She approached the cage and reached out with a confident finger, poking it through the metal wiring and waiting for the rabbit to come closer. As soon as he realised she was there, he hopped out of his bed and straight over to her, licking her hand and making her giggle at long last - to Sergio’s utmost relief. 

“Bye Pickle, see you later”, she whispered, bending down to blow a kiss into his furry face as he continued to lick and sniff her hand with affection. 

Sergio smiled as he watched the two of them, _thank god for Pickle,_ he thought, it was the only thing that was making her happy at this particular moment in time. He allowed her a minute or two with her pet before he walked closer, bringing her out of her daydream by stroking her head gently. 

“Come on”, he whispered, bending down to pick her up so that she could snuggle into his chest and wrap her arms tightly around his neck, “mama is waiting for us”. 

“Is La La there too?” Paula asked quietly, as they at last stepped out of the apartment and made their way towards the elevator. 

Sergio hummed as they stepped inside, pushing the lobby button once they were in. “Yes, Aunt La La is with mama, you’ll see her soon as well.” 

Laura had been on standby for the past three weeks, waiting for Raquel’s call, and when it had come, she’d flown in from Barcelona on the first flight she could get. While Sergio had been by Raquel’s side, her sister had stayed with Paula, ensuring the little girl was surrounded by love and having lots of fun in her parents’ short absence. As soon as he was able to leave Raquel, he’d rushed home to Paula and showered her with cuddles and kisses, allowing Laura to visit her sister and give Sergio some alone time with their daughter - if only for a little while longer, just the two of them. 

He squeezed her tight, knowing her whole world was about to change, but wanting - _more than anything_ \- for her to know she was still the centre of his and Raquel’s entire universe. 

“Let’s go meet our new baby, shall we?”

It was meant to excite her, but the scowl on Paula’s face deepened. No, she was definitely _not_ thrilled by the idea of meeting the new addition to their family. Not one little bit. 

....

She’d insisted on being carried the entire way, a twenty minute walk in her father’s arms was the _only_ way Sergio was getting her to the hospital. 

As they wandered down the corridor at last, making their way to Raquel’s room, Paula’s demeanour changed. On their walk together she’d chatted aimlessly, pointing out dogs and birds, asking him questions, as if she’d entirely forgotten the reason for their journey out. But as soon as they’d stepped foot in the hospital, she’d immediately grown quiet, like she’d remembered what they were doing and that this wasn’t a fun day out just papa and Paula after all. 

He approached a partially closed door and knocked gently, pushing it open as he did so. He entered the room, Paula still in his arms with her head tucked into his neck, and he broke into a huge smile once more as he took in the picture before him. There, in the bed was Raquel, their newborn baby wrapped in a soft, knitted blanket and tucked snug in her arms. The sight brought tears to his eyes every time he entered the room, seeing Raquel with their child, only a few hours old, knowing he’d been there from the very start this time - it filled him with incomparable joy. He’d missed this the first time round when she’d been pregnant with Paula, and he wasn’t prepared to take a single second for granted this time. It was a warm and wonderful sensation, something he couldn’t quite explain, but being in this room with his complete family, everything just felt perfectly _right_.

“Paula, cariño, I’ve missed you”, Raquel said quietly, interrupting his train of thought and smiling widely at the pair of them stood in the doorway. “Would you like to come and meet your baby brother?”

The permanent frown on the girl’s face only intensified at this question. She burrowed further into Sergio’s chest, shaking her head fervently as she squeezed her eyes shut. 

“Well… would you like to come and give mama a cuddle?” she said, tapping the empty space beside her on the bed. “I’ve missed your cuddles so much.”

Silence filled the room, their stubborn daughter refusing to respond to the question. Raquel caught Sergio’s eye, raising an eyebrow amusedly at their little girl’s reaction. 

“I think I’ll go and grab a coffee, give you guys a chance to spend some time alone”, Laura said after clearing her throat. She rose from the couch, smiling softly and grabbing her bag as she wandered out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

Sergio rubbed Paula’s back gently, before walking towards the bed as he tried to pry her from her hiding place against his neck. She let out a plaintive little whimper, but he managed to untangle her arms from around him in order to delicately place her onto the bed right next to Raquel. 

“I told her it’s a boy, and, well… she’s not particularly happy”, he whispered as he crouched down beside their daughter, holding onto her tiny hands as she stared at the baby next to her - still entirely displeased with the entire situation. _She’d wanted a sister._ She’d told her parents’ since the very beginning that they were only allowed to have a baby _if_ it was going to be a girl. So when Sergio had told her an hour or so prior that Raquel had given birth to a boy, she’d been utterly furious about the whole ordeal, not at all understanding that they’d - _unfortunately for her_ \- had no control over the outcome.

Raquel’s smile grew wider as he reached across the bed with his free hand, placing it atop of hers as she held their son close to her chest. She looked up and caught his gaze as their fingers met, quickly blinking away the tears that were forming in her eyes. “I missed you, too”, she whispered, her voice hoarse and cracking slightly with emotion. 

He squeezed her hand in response. “I’ve missed you… _both of you_ ”, he replied breathlessly, and he meant every word. He’d only been away from them for an hour or so, but he’d missed them more than he could ever put into words. He was so glad to be back with them now, along with the third and final piece of his heart, Paula. 

After a long moment, he lowered his gaze to the little bundle in her arms, still sleeping so soundly - so perfectly. He lifted his hand from where it rested atop of Raquel’s, tracing a delicate finger down the baby’s powdery, plump cheek.

He bent his head to press a lingering kiss to Paula’s temple. “Would you like to touch him? You can stroke his cheek… like this… if you’d like to,” he murmured against her skin, continuing to rub her knuckles comfortingly.

She watched her father delicately tickle the baby’s face over and over again, but after a moment of contemplation she shook her head firmly. _No_ , no she didn’t want to touch him, not one little bit. 

Raquel chuckled quietly, conscious as to not disturb the sleeping bundle in her arms or upset Paula by forcing her into something she didn’t want to do. This was still all so new, to all of them, and they needed to tread carefully with their daughter - this change was the biggest for her after all. She’d gone from being the centre of their world, to now having to share their attention with a brother she’d never asked for. It had always been just Paula and Raquel, and when Sergio came back into their lives it was everything they all needed and wanted, and the little girl adapted wonderfully; but Raquel and Sergio knew the day would come where their family would eventually grow and life would change for their daughter once more. She’d been excited throughout the entire pregnancy, showering Raquel’s bump with kisses and asking questions daily, so they had no doubts that Paula would be a loving and attentive sister, she just needed to get used to the change, that was all. They needed to ease her in gently, they needed to reassure her that the new baby wasn’t going to take her place or steal their attention, he’d simply now have a place in their hearts too, just like she did. They just needed to make her understand that he loved her and would be looking up to her now for the rest of his life - he was so tiny that Paula needed to love him and look after him, just as all big sister’s should, and they knew, she was more than ready for the task. _All she needed was a little time._

Wrapping her free hand around her daughter’s back, she pulled Paula closer into her side, shifting the baby towards her so he was partially covering her little lap. The girl lifted her hands tentatively, placing them atop of the blanket and carefully tugging it down to reveal more of his sleeping body. Raquel and Sergio looked at one another with their eyebrows raised, waiting with bated breath for their daughter’s reaction, but she continued to hold onto the blanket, staring down at her brother in wonder for a long moment. Slowly, she lifted a hand and placed it atop of Sergio’s as he continued to trace the baby’s face delicately. She held onto her papa’s finger as he stroked her brother’s rosy cheek repeatedly, watching every movement their hands made with inquisitive and curious eyes. Very gently, Sergio attempted to pull his hand out from under hers, hoping she wouldn’t realise and would tickle his cheek on her own, but _of course_ she realised, and she snatched her hand sharply back and shifted away from Raquel, turning into her papa’s neck once more. 

“No!”, she cried. “I don’t want to, no!”

“Shh, okay… it’s okay”, Sergio murmured, wrapping both arms around her and holding her tight as she burrowed into his chest. 

“No, papa! I won’t! I won’t!”, she repeatedly yelled, kicking her little feet as she continued to cry loudly into his shoulder. 

He stood up, lifting her into his arms and stepping away from the bed, his brow creasing in concern as he caught a look at Raquel’s flummoxed expression - they’d expected she’d need _some_ encouragement to meet the baby, but this… this they were not expecting at all. He swayed with her in his arms and stroked her back as her sobs grew increasingly louder, fat tears sliding down her cheeks rapidly. 

With her wails filling the quiet of the room and Sergio unable to calm her, it wasn’t long before the baby was disturbed from slumber and began to cry too. Raquel gently rocked him in her arms, pulling the blanket more securely around his body as she attempted to shush him - but every time Paula cried, so did he… the pair of them screaming at the top of their lungs in unison. The entire situation was getting progressively out of hand, with Raquel and Sergio completely unequipped for dealing with a situation as such - how the hell did they calm one child down, let alone two? 

After a few minutes, the baby began to calm, drifting back off to sleep in Raquel’s embrace. She glanced up, looking at Sergio and Paula, still cuddled together at the far side of the room, the girl having relaxed slightly, but not yet entirely. Quiet sobs continued to rack her body, and she sniffled and whimpered as she rested her cheek on Sergio’s shoulder, staring at Raquel with sad eyes - heartbreakingly devastated at seeing her brother cuddled in her mama’s arms instead of her. 

Sergio turned slightly to face Raquel, the pair of them sharing a look of parental understanding as their daughter slowly began to quiet down. 

“She’s just tired”, Sergio said. “It’s been a long day for her.”

Paula fidgeted against him, her puffy eyes blinking away more tears as she mumbled almost incoherently through her sobs: “I’m n-not tired.” However, her forlorn expression and the fact she hadn’t even attempted to lift her head said otherwise.

“Okay, I’m sorry - you’re not tired.”

Raquel allowed a small smile to grace her face as she leant back into the pillows to get comfier, taking a deep breath as she watched the two of them sway on the spot. She realised with breathtaking clarity that all Paula needed at that moment was a cuddle with _her_ , and _that_ was what she was going to get. 

“Sergio”, she called out softly. 

He hummed quietly in reply, continuing to stroke Paula’s back in rhythmic circles to soothe her, his cheek resting delicately atop of her head. 

“Can you take this little one and give me her… I want a cuddle with my best girl.”

At the mention of a cuddle with her mama, Paula lifted her head from where it was resting, rubbing at her puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks with clenched fists. Sergio popped her down onto the bed next to Raquel, carefully reaching out to lift the baby into his arms, fixing the blanket and ensuring his son was secure in his embrace as he walked slowly towards the other side of the room.

Paula turned to glance up at Raquel, her eyes wide and filled with unshed tears. For a moment they just looked at each other, until Raquel wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close, squeezing her into her chest and pressing kisses repeatedly to her cheek. Her emotions and hormones were all over the place, and she couldn’t take the sadness evident in every line of Paula’s face, her little girl had missed her mama for the past couple of days, and god, had she missed her too. 

“Now, what’s all this about, huh?” she said softly. “Mama missed you so much while I’ve been in the hospital… I don’t like to see you crying now we’re back together.”

Paula continued to sniffle, looking down at her lap and clutching at Raquel’s top as she listened to her soothing voice. 

“Don’t you want to meet your brother properly - I thought you were so excited to meet baby?”

The girl shuffled slightly where she sat but still remained silent, fiddling with the edge of Raquel’s blanket and refusing to meet her gaze. 

“Okay then, not just yet…” Raquel whispered, snuggling down under the covers to lay more comfortably and hold her daughter as close as possible. “We’ll lay here and have a nice cuddle instead, just me and you, yes?”

Paula twisted onto her side, her face burrowing into Raquel’s neck as she wriggled closer still, wrapping her arms around her mama’s waist and holding on tight. _This_ was all she’d wanted.

“So…” Raquel said. “Tell me what you’ve been up to while I’ve been gone, have you been having fun?”

“Mhmm”, the little girl hummed in agreement after a moment. “Me and La La have been playing and drawing and watching cartoons.”

Raquel squeezed her just a little tighter, happy to hear her sweet voice at long last, her tears finally forgotten. 

“Oh good”, she replied. “What about Pickle, has he been keeping you company?”

“Yes”, Paula giggled as she nodded earnestly. “He’s been sleeping on my bed with me”, she added with a whisper, knowing her mama _never_ allowed her rabbit on the bed under normal circumstances. 

Raquel let out a mock gasp of teasing exasperation which made Paula laugh even louder - the joyful sound of her daughter’s happiness being music to her ears.

“On the bed?!… I’ll have to have words with La La when she gets back, I think.” 

The girl continued to giggle, Raquel joining her and laughing in delight as she pressed tickling kisses to her cheek. She caught Sergio’s eye as he paced peacefully at the foot end of the bed, the two of them grinning happily now that their daughter was smiling and their son was sleeping contentedly in his father’s arms. Raquel loved nothing more than watching Sergio with their children, and was still devastated that he’d missed out on Paula being a newborn, so seeing him with their baby boy - so tiny in his arms - stirred something inside of her, a flutter in her stomach that told her everything was perfect, so finally perfect _at last_. 

Carefully, she raised a hand and beckoned him closer, keeping a firm grip on Paula and continuing to press soft kisses to her face. Sergio approached slowly, perching on the mattress next to her, keeping the baby away from the little girl for the time being, not wanting to upset her again.

“Cariño…” Raquel whispered into the girl’s hair, caressing her back with gentle fingers. “Your little brother would really like to meet you - properly this time…”

Paula wriggled against her, raising her head slightly to get a better look at the bundle in her father’s arms. With a brow raised inquisitively, her eyes flicked between both of her parents’ before dropping to look at the baby once more, her gaze curious as she studied him.

After a long moment, she said so quietly her voice barely surpassed a whisper: “he would?”

“Oh, yes honey. He _really_ would”, Raquel replied softly. She shifted closer to where Sergio was sat, pulling Paula with her, until they were both hovering over the baby’s face, the boy still blissfully unaware as he slept peacefully. 

“Baby brother has been looking forward to meeting his big sister. He loves you so much already”, Raquel said, reaching out tentatively to take Paula’s hand, slowly lifting it closer to the baby’s body. 

“He has?” Paula whispered, allowing for her hand to be placed onto her brother’s cheek with no complaints this time. 

“He has”, Raquel affirmed, watching with tears in her eyes as the girl delicately stroked a finger down and over the baby’s chin - touching him _so_ tenderly.

“He’s really soft”, Paula murmured quietly, her eyes full of wonder as she tickled at her brother’s face over and over. 

Raquel chuckled happily as she watched their daughter interact with the newborn at long last, unable to stop a tear from escaping, allowing it trickle down her face freely. Sergio reached out to brush it away, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand and smiling warmly, just as overcome with emotion as she was that their children were finally meeting properly. 

Pulling herself together and glancing back down at Paula, Raquel said: “he’s only a baby now, he needs you to look after him and be his big sister. He needs you to introduce him to Pickle when we come home... and I’ll need your help to look after him - so will papa, won’t you?” she asked, looking up at Sergio for confirmation. 

“Absolutely”, he whispered in reply, moving his hand from Raquel’s cheek to tickle at Paula’s fingers where they still stroked at the baby’s face.

“I’ll need your help to change him… and feed him too”, Raquel continued on in a quiet murmur, watching the little girl interacting so carefully with her brother, her eyes finally full of love as she played with him. “And then… when we get out of the hospital, I’ll need your help to find him a cuddly toy that he can love just as much as you love bunny. You and me can go and choose it for him… together.”

Paula’s head turned to her, looking at her mama with wide eyes, her hand still gently tracing the baby’s face - much to Raquel’s delight. She could tell she was finally getting her on board with having a brother, she was _almost_ convinced that being a big sister wouldn’t be _such_ a hardship after all. 

“Would you like that?… Do you think you can help me?” Raquel asked carefully, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind the girl’s ear as she waited for her reply.

Paula bit her lip, pondering the question for a moment or two, her eyes flicking between her parents and her new, little brother. This was _such_ a big responsibility, but her mama had asked for her help, so…

“I think so”, she whispered, nodding her head - just once. “Yes mama, please”, she added, before a shy smile broke out on her face. 

Raquel laughed and bent down to press a kiss to her forehead, before turning towards Sergio and their son once more, Paula cuddled close to her side. All three of them cooed over the baby, stroking his face and taking ahold of his tiny fists to caress him lightly as he slept. 

“You’re going to be the best big sister, Paula”, Raquel said, looking sideways at their daughter who was totally entranced by every move her fingers made on her brother’s face, watching him with sheer amazement. 

“The best ever…” Sergio added, his voice low so as to not startle anyone. 

The girl giggled, leaning heavily against Raquel, her fingers tangling with her mama’s to hold the baby’s hand - none of them willing to stop touching him for a single second, still not quite believing that he was finally there with them at last. 

“Paula…” Sergio said, looking up at Raquel and offering her a quick wink, letting her know slyly that he was about to initiate the final step in getting their daughter fully on board with their being a newborn in their lives now. Not that she needed any more convincing, the little girl was at last besotted, her earlier dismay entirely forgotten. “…Baby brother bought you a present”, he continued on quietly, waiting for her excited response.

As expected, Paula’s head snapped up, her eyes widening, a look of utter delight filling her face. 

“What present?” she asked, her eyebrows suddenly raising sceptically, she hadn’t _seen_ any sort of present when she’d entered the room earlier.

Raquel reached out to the side table as she laughed at her daughter’s expression, Sergio moving back slightly to make room for her. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a rectangular shaped box wrapped in pink paper, handing it to Paula carefully. 

“This present right here… he bought it just for you to say how much he loves you and how excited he is to meet you.”

The girl’s mouth parted slightly as she took another quick look at the baby, her mouth upturning into a slight smile as she ripped the paper meticulously, her unwrapping habits much like her Sergio’s - always so delicate and slow, savouring each and every moment of opening up a gift. She pulled off the paper at long last to reveal a box containing a slime volcano kit, a set she’d been pestering them about for weeks, and something Raquel thought would be the perfect gift to get her on board with having a new sibling. She’d explained to Sergio the idea of buying a present for Paula to give to her from the baby when they first met, hoping it would make her feel loved and special - and by the joyful expression on her face, Raquel was sure that she’d made the right decision in doing so. The girl squealed happily, flipping the box in her hands to look at the images all over it, showing different experiments and tricks you could perform.

“Look papa!” she said. “Look at all the slime!”

He chuckled at her infectious happiness, thrilled to see her so excited. “I know sweetie, your brother thought you’d really like that as he knows you’ve been asking for it for weeks.”

Paula held the box close to her chest, looking down at the sleeping bundle once more. Very carefully, she bent down to press a kiss to his forehead, lingering there for a long moment.

“Thank you, baby brother”, she whispered against his powdery soft skin.

Raquel’s breath caught in her throat at the interaction, and she had to hold her breath in order to stop herself from bursting into tears - _her bloody hormones._ But there really was just a sense of absolute rightness at watching her children together, right there next to her and Sergio, safe and warm in her bed. 

“Would you.. would you like to hold him?” she asked Paula tentatively, unsure if she would be willing _just_ yet.

But Paula sat bolt upright, handing the box to Raquel and straightening her shoulders, shuffling about until she was comfortable against the cushions. 

“Yes, please”, she said surely, reaching out her arms and smiling at Sergio as a cue for him to settle the baby against her for a cuddle. 

He leant over Raquel, gently depositing the boy into Paula’s lap, repositioning the pillows to ensure the baby was properly supported and the girl was comfortable. 

“Is that okay?” he asked as he pulled back and sat up straight, his heart thumping with emotion as he watched his two babies cuddled together - there was nothing more wonderful. 

“Yes”, Paula sighed dreamily, not taking her eyes off her brother in her arms. “We are okay.” 

Just when he thought the sight before him couldn’t be more perfect, Raquel wrapped her arm around Paula’s shoulders once more, pulling both of their children into her warm embrace, her other hand reaching out to gently take hold of their son’s outstretched fist as it peeked out from under his knitted blanket. Sergio watched the three loves of his life huddled together, his two girl’s whispering quietly as they cooed over the new man in their lives, and he realised with absolute certainty that this, _this_ was it. Watching the three of them cuddled together before him.. now there was nothing more perfect, nothing more wonderful in the world. 

Not wanting to disturb their contentment, but wanting to speak to Raquel while an important thought sprung to mind, Sergio quietly cleared his throat and said:

“I spoke to your mother, just before I left the apartment. The issue with her visa should be sorted in the next twenty-four hours… she said she’ll be on a flight as soon as she can, and she apologised… again.”

Raquel turned to him with a smile, nodding in reply. Her mother was supposed to have flown in with Laura a couple of days prior, but upon receiving Raquel’s call that the baby was on the way, Mariví had realised there had been a problem with her visa and that she’d have to remain in Spain until it was sorted. She’d apologised profusely, and Raquel was devastated to not have her mother by her side during the birth of her second child, but she was happy she was finally going to be able to join them all soon and meet the newest addition to their family. 

“Also, we can pick up the keys to the new apartment in three weeks”, he whispered after a long moment. “I know you wanted to be in there before the baby arrived - I’m sorry it didn’t get sorted sooner… I know it’s not ideal to be packing and moving with a newborn.” 

When they’d found out about the pregnancy, they’d decided that they would well and truly have outgrown their current apartment once Raquel gave birth. So they’d set on finding a new place big enough for the four of them almost immediately, but it was difficult to find somewhere suitable for life with two young children in the city - especially within their budget - so it had taken a lot longer than either of them had planned. They’d eventually found the perfect apartment, not too far from their current home, and they’d fallen in love with it immediately. However various obstacles continued to get in their way to delay their move, from awkward landlords to difficult negotiations, and before they knew it, Raquel’s due date had arrived and they were still living in their cramped apartment - barely big enough for the three of them, let alone with the addition of a newborn and all the accessories it would bring. 

“That’s okay”, she replied, “I love our home and am sad to say goodbye to it. It’ll be nice to spend some time there the four of us before we have to leave”, she said earnestly, and she meant every word. She really did love where they lived, and had it not been for the fact that it was one bedroom too small, she would have stayed living there forever. It was cosy and homely, the complex had all the amenities they could possibly need, and it had been Sergio’s first home after they’d broken up years earlier. Moving in there with him and their daughter, it had felt like coming home, it had felt so right, so she truthfully was sad to move on and say goodbye to it - the three of them had made some wonderful memories there since they’d been in New York together. 

“Besides”, she continued on with a smile. “That’s what Laura and mama are here for, to help us pack and get everything sorted as stress-free as possible. It’ll all be okay.”

Sergio nodded as he looked at her. That smile - he’d do anything for that smile. As long as she was happy and smiling, that was all that mattered. 

“Anyway”, she whispered, lowering her gaze to look back down at their babies still cuddled next to her, “I want him to spend his first few weeks there. I want some memories of the four of us in that cramped apartment, all snuggled together on that tiny couch in the living room”, she murmured before chuckling quietly. She wanted to make some more memories, _just_ a few more in what had been their first family home. 

She heard Sergio’s soft laugh as she continued to stare at her beautiful children - _their beautiful children_. How had she gotten so lucky in life to deserve this being her reality? Raquel watched Paula smother her brother with kisses, whispering sweetly to him and stroking his little fingers in the most delicate way imaginable, and in that moment she knew that they’d grow up to be so close, to love one another so much, just as she’d always loved her sister. She blinked a few times and Paula suddenly looked so grown up, her hands seeming so big as they cradled the little boy - her baby girl was growing up so quickly that it made her heart beat faster and tears spring to her eyes all over again. It felt like only yesterday she’d been that small herself, she remembered the day Paula was born _so_ vividly, the time they’d spent wrapped up together in the hospital bed in Barcelona, just the two of them in a little bubble - _hoping and praying for Sergio to come back for them_. She watched the little girl, their caring little girl who really was becoming the sweetest and gentlest of souls, and she wanted to freeze time, she wanted to stop the orbit of the earth, if only for a little while. She wanted to keep their babies this small and precious forever - _to stay in this perfect moment for a minute longer_. But then she thought of all the amazing times to come, of being able to watch them grow up right before her very eyes, of being able to play with them and help them learn, to see them form an unbreakable bond of love and sibling trust that would see them through their entire lives. She thought about first sleepovers, first days at school, building dens with them and baking on the weekends. Suddenly she couldn’t wait, she couldn’t wait to experience _all_ of that with them both… all of the firsts for both of their children - firsts for them separately as they grew into their own individualities, and firsts for them together now that they had each other. She thought of having Sergio right alongside her through it all, right from the start this time - just as he _always_ should have been. He’d missed so many of Paula’s firsts, but he’d be there for every one of their little boy’s, and every one of their children’s firsts that they would share together - their first trip to the park, their first quarrel, all of the firsts both big and small. She smiled to herself as the realisation hit her at full force all over again - _no_ , she didn’t need to freeze time at all, for she was excited for the future. But their time to grow would come, and for the time being she’d just enjoy every first and every moment in between, _she’d savour every single minute with them_.

Paula stirred next to her, pulling her out of her daydream to ask: “Do I get a present from baby brother every day?”

Raquel couldn’t stop the laughter erupting from the back of her throat. She looked at Sergio to see him laughing too, the both of them amused as ever at their daughter’s predictability, always trying her hardest to get presents whenever she could. 

Sergio gave Paula a soft look, reaching out to tickle at her chin. 

“No, my darling, not every day. This was a special present from your brother to say hello.”

“Oh”, she mumbled, “okay.” She lowered her gaze once more to continue watching over the bundle in her lap, perfectly content to stay there in the comfortable cocoon of cushions and blankets, warmly ensconced next to her mama. She bent back over her brother, whispering sweet words of affection to him over and over, completely unwilling to stop now that she’d started.

Raquel stared at Sergio, watching the emotion and love flicker in his eyes as he looked at Paula’s obvious devotion for the baby. She shifted ever so slightly towards him, leaning forward until he snapped out of his trance and looked up and into her eyes. He smiled softly, bending his head to brush his nose against hers, the gentlest of touches that made her sigh happily and close her eyes as she breathed him in. She couldn’t wait any longer, so she tilted her face and brought her mouth closer until their lips met and he kissed her, so gently, so sweetly, and she couldn’t help but hum with satisfaction as she melted against him. They kissed and kissed for a long moment, still overjoyed at the bubble they were living in - so perfect, so peaceful. 

He pulled back slowly, resting his forehead against hers, wanting to breathe her in for as long as possible until they had to break apart and tend to their children once more. 

“So…” he started. “Are we set on the name then?”

Raquel smiled softly as she lifted her head, reaching a hand around to his nape, holding him close as her fingers gently ran through his hair. She turned her face to look back down at their children cuddled next to her, nodding gently as she watched over them.

“Yes”, she whispered, a grin breaking out on her face. She reached out with her free hand to take ahold of Paula and the baby’s fingers that were currently tangled together. “Yes, I think we are.”

Sergio pressed a kiss to her temple before stretching his arm out and towards them too, placing his hand atop of all three of theirs, the four of them entwining their fingers to hold on tight to one another in perfect contentment. 

“Well, in that case”, he murmured softly, unable to stop the smile that was spreading from ear to ear. “Welcome to the world Oliver Marquina.”

The four of them remained close together, touching, kissing, laughing, whispering - just living entirely in the moment. For the next hour they remained cuddled in the bed, their fingers tangled as they treasured this time together in their wonderful bubble, their perfect family... just exactly where they were always meant to be. 

....  
….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated. Also as a side note, I have been back through this story and polished it up and added some extra dialogue... just in case any of you fancy a reread 😚 find me on Twitter @nigellanovela


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